


Harry Potter and the Halfblood Weasleys

by JonRiptide



Series: Halfblood Weasleys [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Hogwarts Sixth Year, Love Potion/Spell, Mention Rose Weasley/Scorpius Malfoy, Mostly Faithful to Canon, Not Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Compliant, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Time Travel, Weasleys instead of Granger-Weasleys
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 07:07:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 22,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25466764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JonRiptide/pseuds/JonRiptide
Summary: It's sixth year at Hogwarts and Harry has a lot in his mind. He has to attend Dumbledore's lessons and keep an eye on that up-to-no-good Malfoy. However, when an event in the future causes two time-travelers to arrive, everything is suddenly at risk of turning upside down.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Series: Halfblood Weasleys [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1844695
Comments: 24
Kudos: 33





	1. The Search

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. DISCLAIMER. The obvious. I do not own anything. Thanks to Ms. Rowling for giving us such wonderful stories, even if I don't agree on her recent statements.
> 
> 2\. As some of you know this is a repost of sorts of an old story I have written when I used the HarryBond007(ffnet) username. It is me, I am not stealing it.
> 
> 3\. A user back then pointed out that this was had the same premise some other story, but if that other story still exists this won't be similar for have not read that.
> 
> 4\. As most of my stories, I take canon very seriously, however, there are 2 exceptions here. Changed some last names from Granger-Weasley to Weasley. Also, I will have no remorse ignoring events from The Cursed Child fanfic.
> 
> 5\. Cross-posted around different sites

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A pair of siblings look for shelter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Thanks a lot to SnowBear17(ffnet) for helping me beta this story. Also thanks to Jayelyyn(ffnet) and Inkzy(ffnet) who helped me with the initial version of this, years ago.
> 
> 2\. Any error here is mine and not from my reviewer. If you spot anything or have a doubt about the grammar used or plot just PM me, I'm always swift to answer.
> 
> 3\. Enjoy

"Mum is going to be so mad when she finds out," a boy said, rushing through an open field. He was following a redheaded girl, but it was so early that the dim light made it difficult to fully distinguish anything else.

"She's not going to find out because no one is going to tell her," the girl replied without slowing down. She was looking for something in her grassy surroundings, a task which required all of her attention. The lack of sunlight made it more difficult and her brother had an awful idea of what was the right timing for useless grumbling.

"She will, she always does," the boy insisted.

"This time she won't."

The boy trailed off, but only for a moment. "How do you know that?"

"I— I just do, okay?"

"I think she'll find out."

"Hugo, please, not now."

"We should explain everything to her before she does, it will be better. If this works, she might not even be mad at all."

"Hugo..." the girl warned him, clearly annoyed now.

They were having a real communication issue here. She thought she had been asking for quiet time but all the boy seemed to hear was, _I'm bored, can you please bring back the exact same argument for the umpteenth time?_

"What? Do you think she'll be mad either way? Because If we—"

"Hugo!" The girl finally stopped, quickly turning around to face her brother with a disgruntled gesture. "She won't. We'll be careful, okay? Now can you please stop whining and hurry up? The wrong people could spot us here and I reckon they won't welcome us with swirling banners and sweets."

The only answer she got was a slow and discouraged nod, which was more than enough for her. In the current situation they were in, they just couldn't afford to waste any more time. Her blue eyes moved around, trying to see if they had been noticed by anyone. Once she was sure they were the only living souls in sight, she brushed her frizzy bangs out of the way and set her attention forwards again.

Rose Weasley was no stranger to tense situations, not with the family she had. More than once she had ended up being involved in James' childish pranks against her better judgement, and she had lost count of how many times Al had put her in a rule-breaking situation by accident. Nevertheless, this was way more serious than hiding behind a corridor hoping not to get caught. Their very lives were at stake here, she knew.

Not that her life wouldn't be at risk if her mother found out she had been taking part in senseless, rule-breaking pranks, but even so, it was not the same.

The night had been long, she was tired and hungry, and most likely her hair looked like a spider's nest. Hugo hadn't said anything on the matter, but she knew the boy had been feeling the same; she had heard his stomach growl on more than one occasion. It only made things worse because Rose had already been blaming herself for not bringing any food with them. How did she allow herself to be so stupid? Jumping into an uncertain trip without packing at least a nosh felt like an awful lack of judgement now.

A smarter person would've taken some warm jackets with them as well. Even as she thought this, Rose shivered, trying to not show how cold she truly felt.

But Rose had to focus on her task if she wanted to get them to safety; there was no time for those thoughts right now. So the girl tried a different approach, she extended her arms in front of her and started moving them hastily, walking blindly as if she was trying to seize something out of thin air.

It came to her then that if Scorpius saw her now he would have quite a laugh. Good ol' silly Rose, stumbling through a green field and brushing the air as if it were her own tangly hair. He would tease her, most certainly, she could almost hear him smirking at her.

_"Too early to be looking for nargles, don't you think?"_

At a different time, Rose would have snorted at the mental image of the prat she had for a boyfriend, but not now. Rose's frown relaxed and a knot formed on her throat, she couldn't even put a name to whatever feeling she was experiencing at the moment. The girl shook her head, forcing all of that away from her head. It wasn't helping.

"I know it's around here, I just know it," she mumbled to herself a few minutes later, "I know those hills, things look different, but still... We're close, I can feel it."

No one could say that Rose Weasley was a wimp or a quitter, she would keep looking until she accomplished her task, as she always did. She kept waggling from one place to the other, restlessly, until she noticed the silence. She turned around at once, afraid of not finding her brother there anymore. Fortunately, the boy was still there, staring heavily at his feet. That image surprised the girl, who soon approached him, trying to look less severe.

"Hugo, we have to do this, okay? We're already here," she said, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. It was odd trying to comfort him considering the younger boy was now a couple of inches taller than she was, but she was getting used to that already. "Sorry for yelling at you, I'm just so nervous that I think I'm losing my wits here. We really need to find the place."

"Yeah, I know."

The girl was expecting a more elaborate answer, so she let some time pass before continuing. His appearance was worrisome, but she imagined she must have looked pretty much like crap as well. The night had been long and cold after all. "Are you alright?" she finally asked.

"Sure, it's just that— no, forget it."

"Hugo, what's the matter?"

"It's just— I really want this to work," he said, looking at her with his brown eyes. "More than anything. I miss him. I miss them." He sniffled slightly, wiping his eyes hastily.

Those simple words took the girl by surprise and her composed exterior was soon in risk of crumbling down. The girl couldn't even remember her family without feeling sorrowful now. Every time she remembered, she saw all of them sobbing, drowning in their misery. She couldn't go through that all over again. Not here. Not now.

She tried to answer in a soft voice, not wanting Hugo to be more upset. "I miss them too, Hugo. That's why we're here, remember? We'll bring him back."

The boy nodded, and soon after he tightened his mouth. "Rose?"

"Yes?"

"What we're doing... it's wrong, isn't it?" Hugo asked, his voice a tad edgy.

Rose was caught off guard by her brother's statement, but she couldn't find a way to disagree. In fact, she had been thinking the exact same thing ever since they took that Time-Turner. It was clear that what they had done was not only wrong but it was illegal as well. The night before, they had broken into their mother's office with the sole intention of bringing their father back, without even stopping to consider the consequences. All they had been thinking then was that the queer silvery hourglass on their mother's desk could fix everything, so it took them less than a minute to make up their minds. Now, if everything worked as planned, they were in the past with no one knowing they even existed. Hopefully, that also meant they were at a time when their father was still alive.

After a long pause, Rose nodded. "It's wrong, Hugo. I knew it the second we took the blasted thing. We shouldn't sulk on it though, we're here now and for all I know this could only work one way," she answered, pulling the silver chain from beneath her shirt. "We have to keep going."

"Do you really think we can bring him back?"

"Of course! Otherwise all of this would've been for nothing. It has to work," she said, giving the boy a wide smile. She couldn't allow this not to work. Not when it was their only chance at bringing their father back.

Hugo nodded, more hopefully.

"Now, are you going to help me with it or is slacking behind that much more tempting?"

The boy's face brightened, much to her relief. "Count me in. What do you need me to do?"

Both of them spent the next hour moving their arms all around the field, looking like the barmiest pair of teenagers ever. A few times they even changed the direction and threw rocks into the distance, waiting for something to answer or happen. Still, whatever they were waiting for didn't come. Soon, they found themselves knackered and seated on some old log. That was where the light of the morning sun caught them.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Hugo asked.

"Positive, just look. Don't you recognize it?"

The boy looked around, narrowing his eyes as if that could help him get a clue of what he was supposed to notice. "I guess so..."

Rose was worried about him. He hadn't been the same ever since their father's death. Even when she had been having a pretty awful time herself, she knew she had to be strong for him. That was what they would've wanted her to do.

"Wish we could just apparate there or something," the boy said longingly.

Hugo was looking peckish but there was not much she could do about it. They hadn't brought any food or muggle money with them, so their options were quite scarce.

_Brilliant planning there, Weasley_ , she thought to herself, scowling.

The girl wailed softly at their situation, thinking that if she hadn't been so impulsive maybe they wouldn't be struggling like this. However, Rose also knew that if she hadn't acted like that they probably wouldn't be where they were in the first place. She was always more judicious on second thoughts.

"Neither of us knows how to apparate, Hugo. I'm sorry," said Rose, looking ashamed for not having answers for him.

Hugo looked confused, knitting his eyebrows together. "Sorry? Sorry for what?"

"Because I dragged you here without a plan? Or maybe because I was thick enough to come here without any food?"

"Oi! Hold your hippogriffs! What do you mean? I was there too and I didn't bring anything either," Hugo started. "Besides, you didn't drag me here. I came all by myself."

"But if I had only—"

"No, this isn't your fault, Rose. So knock it off and let's keep moving. We have to find that— those— whatever it is," said the boy, standing up from the old log.

Rose smiled at her little brother and followed him with renewed energy. Hugo had always been very simple with things and she was grateful for that. Looking for someone to blame was the thing the boy despised the most. It was kind of self-serving to focus on the solution and forget about the problem when he was the culprit, but when it was someone else's fault and he still opposed placing the blame around, it made Rose feel as if she had the most noble of kids for a brother.

The siblings continued working at their task for another half hour or so until something unexpected happened. Rose was walking through the field, distracted by something she thought she had seen, when suddenly, something hit her hard from the front. The girl shrieked and immediately after she was propelled to the ground with great force, landing on her rear.

"Ouch!" she whined.

"Rose!" yelled Hugo, running towards his sister. "What happened? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, it's just— my arse."

Hugo laughed briefly. "What? What happened?"

He tried to be serious, yet failed to remove the stupid grin from his face once he noticed his sister was okay. Seeing Hugo smile was surely something positive, but in her current position she didn't find it amusing at all.

"Sorry, it's just, what happened?" he asked again, turning to look in the direction where her sister had been standing just moments before.

Rose huffed at him and moved her gaze to the front. "I don't know. I hit... something." Her explanation had been vague, but even so it seemed illogical, as there was nothing in front of her but air. "What the—?"

"Rose, there's nothing there. Didn't you just trip over?"

"Of course not! Something hit me!" replied Rose, very offended. Crossing her arms, she glared at Hugo.

"Let me see then," Hugo said, standing up and walking to where her sister had been supposedly thrown back.

"Hugo, be careful," urged Rose from her place on the ground.

"It's okay, I think," said the boy, touching the weird space lightly. Hugo put his fingers over the suspicious area and a few waves moved around as if the air was not air but a long portion of transparent, vertically-flowing water.

"Oh!" Rose said, her eyes widening. "We found it!"

"What!? Really?! This thing?" asked Hugo, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes! Those are the wards."

"Are you sure?" asked the boy, still reluctant.

"Of course I'm sure! I know about these things."

"If you say so... but how do we get in?"

"That part I'm not so sure of," answered Rose honestly.

"You don't know?! So are we just going to stay here until someone sees us?"

"Maybe we can walk around it until we find an entry point or something like that," suggested Rose, standing up and brushing the dirt off of her blue jeans.

"And how are we going to know when we reach the entry point?"

Rose shrugged. "Maybe they get an alert that we're here or—"

"Rubbish! I have a better idea," said Hugo, grabbing a rock from the ground.

"No, Hugo, wait!"

But it was too late. The rock flew from Hugo's hand and went straight into the invisible wall in front of them. Rose ducked instinctively, expecting the rock to come back at them. Oddly enough, it didn't.

"Huh? Where is it?"

"On the other side, most likely," answered Hugo. "Blimey! I thought it would let us in or at least give us a clue."

"Hugo, these are powerful wards. They are not going to be beaten by some stupid rock!"

"It was worth the try, wasn't it?"

Rose snorted, walking towards the barrier. She couldn't find a solution, instead, she only experienced the same waves of air as her brother. "Guess it only blocks people, not rocks."

"Now what?"

The redhead girl narrowed her eyes, trying to find a way in. Unfortunately, she was out of ideas. "I reckon you could throw another rock, see if you can break a window or something. Get their attention."

"Grandma won't like that."

"We can ' _reparo_ ' it later."

"I guess, but didn't you just say throwing rocks was stupid?"

Rose huffed, crossing her arms. "Well, it's all I got. Any brilliant ideas of your own?"

The girl was beginning to get frustrated about her current situation. Rose's birthday was only a few days away and then she would be of age. Until then, she couldn't use her wand outside of Hogwarts — or at least that was the situation before she left home, she didn't know how the trip had affected the underage restriction.

Without magic they were stuck. For the next few minutes, Hugo kept throwing more rocks at the wall as Rose imagined how many useful things she could be trying if she were only able to use her wand. Then a voice suddenly brought them out of their thoughts.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?"

They both gasped in surprise because seemingly out of nowhere, a man had appeared, holding a wand and pointing it directly at them. The man was tall and handsome, and his long hair — which he kept in a ponytail — was as red as it could be. Rose didn't recognize him at first because of how young he looked, yet Hugo mumbled something that brought light to her memories.

"Uncle Bill?" he asked doubtfully from behind her. His voice was so low that Rose was sure the man didn't hear him.

"What was that? I asked you a question." Bill Weasley sounded severe, something Rose was not used to.

"Two, actually," answered Hugo instinctively.

"Don't play smartarse with me. I want answers and I want them now."

Rose and her brother were temporarily stunned by the reaction of the man in front of them. The girl couldn't believe he was the same good man who used to share his wonderful stories about Africa with them. The man they knew was always laughing and trying to turn a blind eye to every prank being orchestrated. This man didn't seem to have a sense of humour at all. Something didn't feel right for Rose who, until that day, had a very different image of the eldest Weasley brother. All of her life, she had thought that beyond the scruffy clothing style and intimidating scars, Bill Weasley was so good-natured that he wouldn't be able to kill a fly, even if he tried to. Now, she wasn't so sure of that.

"I don't have all day," said the young, scarless man. He was now moving his wand impatiently between them, narrowing his uncanny blue eyes like he was trying to decide what to do with them.

Hugo turned to look at his sister with fearful eyes and her only answer was a reassuring nod. They never expected to face their uncle when they first decided to travel all this way back but they needed to convince him if they didn't want to be victims of his wand.

"I'm Rose, and this is my brother, Hugo."

The man seemed to ease a bit when the first of his questions was answered, but still there was a long way until Rose could feel that they had convinced him they were trustworthy. "Last name?"

Rose's eyes moved briefly to her brother, who paled at that question. "It's alright, Hugo," she said, then moved back to face her uncle. "Weasley."

The surprise was clear on Bill Weasley's face, as he had loosened the grip on his wand. He seemed to ponder their answer briefly before returning to his severe behaviour. "Rubbish! I know the Weasley family tree, head to toes. There is no Rose or Hugo on it! Last name!" He said sharply, pointing his wand at Rose.

"She already told you! Is that so hard to notice?" yelled Hugo, rushing to stand between the man and his sister.

Bill Weasley was suddenly stunned, looking at the boy more closely. After a moment, his eyes opened wide, shocked. "Ron? No, wait— who are you?"

Before anyone could say anything else, they were interrupted by another man appearing. It was a much younger Arthur Weasley, who didn't have a single grey hair on his balding head.

"Dad? What are you doing here?"

"Your mother was getting nervous," the man said, turning to look at the visitors. "Who are they?"

"They say their names are Rose and Hugo and that they're Weasleys. Obviously a lie. There are no Roses or Hugos in the family tree. Still, look at the boy, he looks a lot like—"

"Ron." Rose's grandfather nodded at him. Then, the man turned to look at Rose and narrowed his eyes. "There's something about the girl too."

"The girl?" Uncle Bill asked, turning back to her.

Rose knew she didn't look a lot like her mother, not as much as Hugo looked as her father at least. Still, her grandfather kept studying her in detail.

"The eyebrows, the hair. She reminds me of Hermione, but not quite so," her grandfather said suspiciously after a while.

Instinctively, Rose moved a hand to her bushy red hair, smiling. She had decided to cut it at chin-length ever since she joined the Quidditch team. It had been simply impossible to play otherwise, and Aunt Ginny's suggestion of doing a ponytail was unmanageable with a hair as frizzy as hers. Rose's hair hadn't looked as big as her mother's when it was long though, but without the extra weight it was more noticeable now. Never before had Rose felt glad of having inherited that trait from her mother, but it seemed like there was always a first time for everything.

"What's going on here? They can't be Polyjuiced, can they? Ron's eyes are blue, and the hair and eyebrows are different too. That's not Hermione either," Uncle Bill said.

"Explain yourselves," demanded Arthur Weasley after a moment.

After thinking about it for a bit, Rose decided the only way they could believe her was if she showed them some proof. She moved her hand to her shirt and then pulled out the silver chain. Once outside, they were able to see three silvery hourglasses intertwined.

Both men stared at the device in disbelief. "That looks an awful lot like a Time-Turner. Why is it silver though?" Uncle Bill asked his father.

"It's an improved version. We're from the future," said Hugo.

"You're not in the family tree and Time-Turners can't travel back that far."

"This one can, Grandpa," said Rose, staring directly at the man, who almost jumped at the way she addressed him, looking at her as if she were crazy.

"Prove it," demanded Rose's uncle.

Hugo opened his mouth, ready to talk, but Rose rushed to stop him. "We can prove it, but not out here."

"You're nuts if you think we'll let you in just like that."

"Bill, hold on," said Rose's grandfather, stunning his son. "She's right. If they're telling the truth, we cannot leave them here, and we cannot talk freely either. Besides, the device is something."

"I guess, but— are you sure Dad?"

The balding man turned to look at Rose. "We'll need to cast a few spells on you, for precaution. We'll also take that device of yours, and your wands. I promise we'll return them once everything has been cleared."

"Of course, Grandpa!" Rose answered, smiling and handing her wand to them without a second thought. Her immediate trust surprised the redheaded men.

"Very well, come on then," the older man said, as he moved his wand around them and across the wards too. Before they knew it, they had passed the barrier and the tall, twisted Burrow appeared before their eyes.

The moment they entered the Burrow, Rose felt the heaviness leaving her shoulders. She hadn't even noticed the burden she had been carrying since they had left their house, many hours before. In a way, being back at the Burrow made everything much brighter. The Burrow had always felt like a second home to them and it was a definite improvement over being outside, without any food or money on them. It was certainly safer too.

"It's the same," Hugo remarked, earning a suspicious glance from their uncle.

The boy wasn't lying, it seemed her grandparents hated changing decoration. Even when the place had a few different things, not much had changed. Everything was in the exact same position Rose remembered and the feeling of coziness was as familiar and warm as ever. Only two things caught the girl's attention. The first one was obviously the lack of pictures of grand-kids, which were replaced by those of her father, Aunt Ginny and all of her uncles. It was weird being surprised by so many pictures of them as kids when she had been seeing them as grown-ups her entire life.

Then, there was the family clock, which had fewer hands than the one in the future. This clock was actually visible because it was not flooded with the names of all Weasleys from the future, which made it impossible to read for anyone besides her grandmother. Rose was suddenly hit by the implications of their trip. All of those clock hands that were missing belonged to her family and Rose didn't know if she was ever going to be able to see them again. She missed them all, and, as mental as it sounded, that included James.

Would she be able to scowl him again for one of his stupid pranks? Or his equally stupid dating decisions? She really didn't know.

Something else on the family clock made her freeze. All of the hands were unmistakably set to a label that seemed to be yelling ' _mortal peril_ '. Rose had only seen the hands point to mortal peril a couple of times in her life, both had been during pretty dangerous missions Uncle Harry had been on. The very thought of how complicated the situation must be at this time made the girl pale.

"Arthur! What took you so long?" a familiar voice asked from the kitchen as they made their way there. Hugo's smile appeared instantly and Rose couldn't avoid showing a happy smile either. After all, if there was someone who could understand them, it was their grandmother.

"It's difficult to explain. You better sit down, sweetheart," her husband replied as the four of them went into the kitchen. Molly Weasley turned to them and Rose wasn't surprised in finding she looked almost the same as in her own time - just with fewer grey hairs.

Rose's grandmother was not alone in the kitchen.

"Who are they?" another man said suddenly. Rose recognized him as a very young version of her Uncle George, who was wearing the kind of clothes he usually wore to work. Rose should have expected him to be there eating breakfast, after all it was very early and he was not married yet.

"I'm not sure, Forge, but that one looks a lot like little ickle Ronnie," another Uncle George added. Rose gasped at the realization of just who was in front of her. So far, Rose's desires of seeing her father again were mixed with the remorse of having done something very wrong. The sight of the two identical brothers brought a different perspective, one that she hadn't thought about before. Yes, people she knew didn't exist at this time yet, but there were also people she never got to meet. People who died way before she was even born. One of those people was Uncle Fred.

"Rose..." Looking at Hugo, Rose noticed he had gone pale, staring at Uncle Fred.

"I know. Now hush," Rose whispered back to her brother.

"It seems you're right, Gred, but look closer. If there was a potion to turn someone into a Weasley, I would swear that we also have a Hermione here," the first twin said, pointing at Rose.

His twin narrowed his eyes, taking a closer look at Rose. "The girl has some resemblance, I'll give you that. She even comes with freckles and everything. Guess we should get our hands on that Weasley potion."

It was an unusual thought but Rose was glad they recognized her parents in her as well. As any other normal teenager, Rose Weasley would usually complain about her parents quite often. The physical traits she had inherited from them were just the tip of the iceberg. That day though, she was glad of having something of them with her, even if that something was the wildest of hairs and more freckles than she could count.

"Arthur, what's going on?" Rose's grandmother asked, ignoring the twins' words.

"Where to begin? This is something rather hard to explain."

"It's something alright," Uncle Bill added, reluctantly.

"Dad, we have to get to the shop in—"

"It can wait. This is urgent family business," Rose's grandfather interrupted one of the twins.

"Only if they're not impostors," Uncle Bill said, throwing weird looks at both of them.

Once all of them were sitting at the kitchen table, the Weasley patriarch explained everything to his wife and sons. Rose turned to look at her grandmother and wasn't surprised by her reaction. The woman's eyes were flickering between Rose, Hugo and the Time-Turner — which had been placed carefully on the table. Rose had been expecting a lot of those looks. The ginger girl wondered about the reaction their younger parents would surely have once they talked to them.

"Are you saying these are our grand-kids?" asked Rose's grandmother.

"That's what they're saying. We still haven't been able to verify it or deny it," added Uncle Bill, trying not to sound too accusative.

"We're telling the truth," argued Hugo, but whatever he was planning on saying next was lost by a loud grumble coming from his stomach. "Sorry."

"Merlin! When was the last time you kids ate?"

"Last night Grandma, before leaving," Rose said shyly, still a little embarrassed.

The woman was taken aback by the way she addressed her, but quickly put it aside for what she must have seen as a more pressing issue. "You were out all night?!"

Rose and Hugo nodded.

"That would explain why they look as if the Knight Bus just ran over them," said one of the twins.

After some loud words to her sons, Rose's grandmother hurried toward the stove.

Not long after, their grandfather left the room, stating that they needed Dumbledore. Rose had been expecting the old headmaster to show up at some point but she wasn't sure whether he would agree with what they had done. They'd have to be cautious around him. Rose only hoped Dumbledore could be able to prove they were saying the truth.

Generous plates of food were soon in front of Rose and Hugo, whose faces brightened at once.

"Blimey! Look at them go!" one of the twins exclaimed. When Rose realized that he was talking about the way they were gobbling through their plates, she blushed. Rose was usually more restrained with food, but whenever she was truly hungry she couldn't help but speed things up a notch. Her mother always said she had gotten the bad habit from her father but, at this point, anything that made Rose remember her father was a good thing.

"Fred! Stop it. The kids haven't eaten in a while," the woman said sternly. She looked at Rose, her frown totally gone. "You don't worry, dear. If you want more, there's more where that came from."

Rose felt embarrassed, so she tried to slow down either way. "Thanks Grandma. I think this will be enough." Rose's grandmother, still uncomfortable with being called as such, merely gave her a warm smile.

"It's not hard to guess who their father is, right George?"

"Absolutely not."

"W-WGhat? WOhyo ow-oud yoe sead that?" asked Hugo between mouthfuls. Rose moved her hand to her forehead, embarrassed by her brother's manners.

"My dearest nephew, you look a lot like a particular brother we all love—"

"—We also have a redheaded Hermione here—" said the other twin, pointing at Rose.

"—And of course, there's also that vivid table language you just used."

"He's not always like that," Rose protested unconvincingly.

"Even so, I must say there is a high chance of you two being the kids of our lovely Ronnie and his adorable Hermione."

No one really seemed surprised at that besides Rose and Hugo, as they had thought that they had travelled to a time when their parents were not yet together.

"Are they— going out? What year is this?" Rose asked hurriedly, very scared of arriving too late.

"Those are two very different questions, Rose," said her grandfather. "The year is 1996, October 4th to be more precise. About your other question, don't quote me on this, but I believe they're not together."

"Yet," added Uncle Bill.

Rose sighed in relief. They were on the right date, at least. "Then why did you said that they—"

"They're just blind, especially ickle Ronnie," said one of the twins.

"Thick as a troll, that father of yours. At this pace, I'm betting on Hermione making the first move," the other twin explained, causing Rose and Hugo to fight back a smirk.

The twins' eyes brightened at once. "Hey! You know things! You could help us with a few bets, couldn't you?"

"They would surely know a few Quidditch results, my brother."

"Don't get her started," Hugo complained, earning a glare from his sister.

Yes, it was true Rose had a good memory for keeping track of every little bit of Quidditch stats, but what was wrong with that? Was it a crime? Her father loved that.

_Used to love that_ , she corrected herself.

"Fred! George! Neither of you will do such a thing," Rose's grandmother reprimanded the twins sternly, waving a wooden spoon in their direction.

It was strange hearing her grandmother flapping over the twins' words like that since Rose's memories only had images of Uncle George being scowled at. For Rose, it was a complete mystery how her grandmother would yell at every crazy idea from Uncle George, but not even once at her grandkids. In fact, all of James' and Freddie's mischiefs were usually attributed to Uncle George. To be fair though, Rose had to recognize her uncle was usually involved, in one way or another.

"You haven't said why you're here yet. You can talk now," said Rose's grandfather after he was sure they had finished their breakfast.

"Oh yes," Rose started. Instantly her face turned grim. For a moment, she had felt much better surrounded by her family, but that would surely change once she talked about her father's death. "Well, it all started last month. Our—"

_Knock, knock._

Rose stopped suddenly at the noise of someone calling at the door. Her grandfather quickly stood up, walking towards it. "That must be Albus."

Hugo turned to look at his sister, concern visible on his face. Rose tried to look confident. If Uncle Harry's stories were true, then the old wizard would at least listen to them first. Her godfather always talked highly of his former headmaster.

"Let's all go to the living room," said Rose's grandmother after her husband left the kitchen. She stopped briefly to take a look at Rose. "Are you finished with that, dear? You can have more after we talk to Albus."

"It's okay, Grandma. I'm done."

"That's good," the woman said, still very much shaken. However, she smiled back at the girl warmly, something Rose could take comfort in.

Rose was happy for that, because at least she knew that their grandmother wouldn't leave them alone. She took a deep breath and walked towards the living room, followed by Hugo. The girl tried to keep her father present in her thoughts. If they could pass through Dumbledore's examination, then it was likely they could see her father again, and that filled her with all the strength she needed.


	2. The Headmaster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose does some explaining

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Thanks a lot to SnowBear17(ffnet) for helping me beta this story. Also thanks to Jayelyyn(ffnet) and Inkzy(ffnet) who helped me with the initial version of this, years ago.
> 
> 2\. Any error here is mine and not from my reviewer. If you spot anything or have a doubt about the grammar used or plot just PM me, I'm always swift to answer.

Rose sat next to her brother in the living room in the farthest possible place from where the headmaster was seated. Albus Dumbledore was quite a presence, and so far he hadn't taken his sparkling blue eyes away from them. He was wearing a long shimmering cloak that was midnight blue, but its color kept changing subtly from time to time.

It didn't take long for Rose to notice Professor Dumbledore's right hand. The girl shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. She knew why it was scarred, and she knew that the old wizard would die soon. The headmaster noticed where her attention was but didn't try to hide his hand.

All the other Weasleys were in the living room as well, keen for answers. Even Uncle George and Uncle Fred seemed to have forgotten all about the joke shop for the time being.

"Good morning, Molly. Nice to see you on this lovely day," Albus Dumbledore started.

"Morning, Albus. Hope we didn't take you out of something important."

"Don't worry. When there are so many important matters around, everything becomes suddenly less important. Besides, if I heard correctly, this seems like a situation that requires my attention," the old wizard said, peering at the silvery Time-Turner through his half-moon spectacles.

Rose had heard and read dozens of descriptions of the old wizard, she had even seen his portrait once. Seeing him in person was a different thing altogether though. Rose could already feel his deep blue eyes analysing them, just as Uncle Harry used to say.

"Messrs. Weasley, I assume everything is running smoothly at your interesting business."

"Unrealistically well, Professor. You can come by and take a look whenever you like," said one of the twins mischievously. Rose still wasn't able to distinguish them at all.

"We can give you good discounts," the other twin added, smirking.

Rose's grandmother snorted at her sons' lightness, but the headmaster didn't seem to notice. In fact, he smiled at the twins widely. "A marvelous idea. I may pass by one of these days."

_Yeah, sure. Albus Dumbledore should pass by and buy some dungbombs, why not?_

"Professor, has my father told you everything?" Bill Weasley asked abruptly, feeling that they had stalled the main topic long enough.

"I believe he has. I must say I'm intrigued, and eager to know all the details," Dumbledore answered before turning back to Rose. "Miss Weasley, I presume?"

Rose took a deep breath, "Yes, I'm Rose, and this is my brother Hugo."

"And you arrived today, from the future?"

Both of them nodded.

"What year exactly, if I may ask?"

"2022," answered Hugo.

"Do you have any evidence to support your statement? Other than this device, of course." He gestured at the Time-Turner, his eyes still examining them carefully.

Rose hesitated only briefly before answering, the time she had feared would come had finally arrived. "Err, no. We know things though. About you, about the future."

"I don't believe future knowledge is something to be thrown around lightly, Miss Weasley. Perhaps you may be willing to confirm this under _Veritaserum_?" the old man proposed, taking a vial of transparent liquid out of his robes.

The girl took a deep breath. _Here it comes. You can do this, Rose,_ she thought, trying to reassure herself before nodding.

"Is that really...?" asked Hugo, his eyes widening.

"Veritaserum, yes," the man answered.

Hugo turned to his sister, biting his lip worriedly. "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. We want them to believe us, don't we?"

"Yes, but does it hurt?" Hugo's eyes were filled with concern, and his lip quivered slightly.

"It doesn't hurt, Hugo. It shouldn't. I'll just stop me from lying."

Even when she had read all about it, Rose had never actually drunk the potion before. It couldn't be that bad though. There were many books about Veritaserum and none of them had ever mentioned pain as a side effect.

"Miss Weasley is correct. There is no pain involved with this potion. Three drops will suffice," assured the headmaster.

Hugo agreed with a nod, looking less anxious. "Do you want me to do it instead?"

"No, it's all right. I'll take it." Rose was touched that Hugo was willing to take the burden for her, but this was something Rose needed to do.

The vial floated from the hands of Albus Dumbledore to where Rose was seated, falling softly in the cradle of her hands. Her grandparents and uncles followed it with anxious looks all the way there. Doubt crept to Rose as she stared at the little innocent-looking vial, her previous confidence shrinking. She was afraid of saying the wrong thing under the potion, yet she knew it was the only way to move forward. So, after a quick nod to her brother, the girl let the three required drops fall into her mouth. The effect of the serum was almost immediate. It was odd as Rose felt calm at once, as if nothing could go wrong no matter what words came out of her mouth.

"What's your name?" asked Professor Dumbledore pointedly.

"Rose Weasley," the girl said without hesitation.

Even if minor, there was still surprise in the Weasleys' reaction. Especially from her Uncle Bill, who apparently had still entertained the possibility of Rose and Hugo being impostors.

"What's your date of birth?"

"October 10, 2006."

"Who are your parents?"

"Ronald Bilius Weasley and Hermione Jean Granger."

"Shocking," one of the twins interrupted, still smirking.

Rose's grandmother gave them a warning look.

"I don't get it," Uncle Bill chipped in, his brows furrowed. "Time-Turners only go back for a few hours. And they were all destroyed."

"This one's better. Mum made it," Hugo replied proudly.

"What do you think, my brother?" said Uncle George — or Uncle Fred.

"It does sound like our Hermione. You know, being a know-it-all and stuff."

The words exchanged by the Weasleys were soon cut off by Professor Dumbledore. "It does seem like something Miss Granger is capable of doing. She is, after all, a remarkably talented young witch." He paused only briefly before giving his judgment. "I believe they're telling the truth. Which only leads us to bigger problems."

"But what about the war? This must mean Ron and Hermione survive. Don't they?"

Quickly, Rose found herself wanting to answer, as if her very life depended on it. "The war ends on May 2nd, 1998. Both of our parents survived it."

"Funny, I could ask you just about anything now," Hugo whispered to Rose, trying to lighten the mood.

"Don't you dare," his sister replied with a warning glare.

The potion was extremely powerful, and there were plenty of chances to say something embarrassing, even without Hugo's intervention. That was her luck, wasn't it?

"What about Voldemort? Is he dead? In your time?" Uncle Bill said quickly. He didn't seem to be doubting them anymore, which was a relief.

"Uncle Harry killed him during _the Battle of Hogwarts_ ," answered Rose and a queer silence covered the entire room. All the Weasleys from the past were stunned speechless.

"Harry!? He survives... oh Merlin, Arthur!"

"I know, sweetheart, it will all end," Rose's grandfather said, embracing his wife.

"He…? He kills him?" asked one of the twins.

"In a way. He makes Voldemort's spell backfire," Rose clarified, propelled by the serum.

"Of course he does!" added the other twin, punching his fist victoriously into the air. "That's our Harrykins. Never doubted him."

Most of the reactions in the living room were of joy, but they also wondered how in Merlin's name had the scrawny boy they knew could accomplish such a feat. Rose couldn't relate to her family in that way, however. In her time, if there was someone capable of defeating an unbeatable evil wizard, it was her godfather. Everyone knew that.

"There was a battle at Hogwarts then?" asked Uncle Bill then, remembering that part.

"Yes. _The Battle of Hogwarts_ ended the war. It was the final battle against Tom Riddle," said Rose, not even making an effort to control what she was saying anymore. A couple of times before she had tried to respond partially, but it was useless, the serum was much stronger than her.

A concerned Molly Weasley tried to ask more, but Professor Dumbledore put a halt to her intentions before she could say much. "I believe this is getting out of our hands. I urge you to refrain from asking more questions."

"But—"

"Molly, future knowledge is very dangerous and we need to act with caution," the old man urged and, after a pause, the woman looked away and nodded.

"It's the best thing to do, sweetheart. Albus is right." Putting a comforting hand on Molly's shoulder, Arthur smiled gently, albeit tiredly, at her.

"Now, Miss Weasley, could you please tell us how you ended up here?"

Rose almost gulped before answering that question. "We took our mother's Time-Turner and used it to arrive at this specific point in time."

The old wizard's eyes narrowed, searching their expressions carefully. "Are we talking about an accident?"

"No. We did this deliberately."

Her head was reminding her of the gravity of her words. Every thought told her how this was the most difficult part of the conversation, how things could go wrong and how much of a mistake this could be. Nevertheless, Rose couldn't avoid feeling a daft calm through the whole ordeal, as if she had only said which flavor of ice cream she preferred.

Naturally, the rest of the room didn't take that as lightly. Everyone knew this was a serious matter, even the twins did not crack a smile. _Time was not a toy_ , Rose remembered. Her ears still rang from all the times her mother had said so, starting from the day she brought the Time-Turner home. The day she began working on that pet project of hers.

Professor Dumbledore's face was stern, reflecting the gravity of the situation. "And why would you do that?"

"We wanted to get our parents together sooner, before their seventh year."

One of the headmaster's eyebrows arched slightly. "I assume there was a powerful reason behind that. Time is not something to play with, after all."

"We did it to save our father."

"What happened to Ron?" Rose's grandmother asked quickly, eyes widening in panic.

Hugo's mute voice echoed in the silent room, as a heavy load finally fell before them. "He... died."

As expected, the worst reaction was from Rose's grandmother, who almost collapsed. Fortunately, Rose's grandfather was able to get a hold of her before she fell to the floor. Her uncles were gobsmacked somewhere nearby, mouths opening and closing in disbelief.

Rose hated herself right then, for the serum was still compelling her to give an answer, even when Hugo had already said all that mattered. She fought the need to say it but there was no point to it, she knew. She was too weak to fight it.

"He died, a week ago," she said, confirming her brother's words. "We wanted to change it."

The room turned into a muggle photograph. For a while no one moved. No one dared to say a single word.

"Can't you give her the antidote already?" Bill Weasley's voice sounded foreign, once it broke the silence.

"I will. The serum is unnecessary at this point."

Professor Dumbledore sent another vial towards Rose, who took it shakily. After taking the antidote, things only got worse for Rose. The calm abandoned her as immediately as it had arrived, and suddenly, she found herself in a room full of people who had just learned of her father's death. It was as if an outside force was pressing on her heart, causing a knot to form in her throat.

"This situation is, admittedly, very regrettable," the headmaster said once Rose was free of the serum. There seemed to be real sorrow weighing down on his voice. "But Miss Weasley, considering who your mother is, I must say I'm surprised you decided to do this. Death is a natural thing."

"Are you saying they shouldn't be here? But Ron—" Bill Weasley tried, his voice strangled.

"Mr. Weasley, I know this might sound harsh, and I am sorry for it. I appreciate your brother greatly," the headmaster started, "Nevertheless, time is a puzzling matter. It shouldn't be taken lightly, and I'm afraid, it shouldn't be used to stop people from dying."

His words had a certain darkness to them. They echoed somber and final, an undeniable truth that Rose had foolishly tried to forget.

"We're sorry, we didn't think it through. We wanted him back. We still do," said Hugo, rushing to have them understand.

Rose wasn't finding enough energy to help him with his argument, knowing what they had done was wrong.

"That's very comprehensible, yet I'm sorry to say that it doesn't make it right, my boy. Thinking our wants are above all else can take us to dangerous paths. Your intentions might have been honourable, but time is a serious matter. Your future appeared to be bright and you might have compromised it."

"But we need to do something," pleaded Rose's grandmother, eyes shining.

"We do. If we keep the current timeline as close as possible to theirs, we may prevent a lot of damage."

"Prevent damage!? My son is going to die! Surely you're not thinking of letting that happen!"

"Molly, please listen to me. This is far beyond any of us. We need to ensure the stability of the current timeline and, further on, we need to worry about the war that is taking place. This situation might have changed the outcome of everything..."

The tension in the room was unnerving. Until then, Rose hadn't thought of all the things that could change. Now the idea of different people dying because of their mistake, or the fact that they could now lose the war, was something she found troubling to deal with. The sole image of what her mother would say to her was the worst feeling she had ever experienced in her entire life.

 _You should've known better,_ Rose could almost hear the reproachful words in her ears.

The girl thought of her cousins as well, now more than ever. Al, Roxie, and Molly, and so many more. She remembered Dom especially, who had always given her sage counsel in the same way Rose had tried to give it to Hugo and Lily. But Dom couldn't help her now. Rose thought of her friends then, and she thought of Scorpius too. Rose always knew travelling back could mean that none of them would be born, but she had just been avoiding the truth. She always knew this, though. It had just been the heat of the moment that had led to this trip, she knew that they shouldn't be here.

At the other side of the room, Uncle Bill was struggling with himself. He opened his mouth a couple of times, yet he couldn't decide what to say. Rose's grandmother wasn't doubting herself, though. "I am not going to let my son die!" she thundered.

The woman stood up decisively and placed herself between the headmaster and her grandchildren, as if she were a shield. The woman stared at Professor Dumbledore with a resolve that Rose knew was unbreakable. Right then, Rose turned suddenly afraid of what might happen. When she first took the Time-Turner, it never crossed her mind that a scene like this could take place.

"There are many things at stake, you have always known that. Not everything can end up as we would've liked."

"Not Ron! Not my son! He's not a part of this! Merlin, he's not even of age!" yelled Rose's grandmother, frowning at the headmaster.

The old wizard turned to look at Rose's grandfather. It wasn't clear if he was looking for support or if he was just trying to find out the other man's opinion. Arthur Weasley walked slowly to stand by his wife though, his back to Rose and Hugo as well.

"I'm sorry Albus, but I'm with Molly on this. We all are," said the man, turning to his sons.

As if inspired by their father's words, all three of Rose's uncles nodded and stood next to their parents, with sheer determination. Rose was nervous, she couldn't remember a moment charged with more tension in her entire life.

"Rose," said her grandfather calmly. "If I had known of your plans in the future, the future-me that is, I wouldn't have let you go on with it. But now you're here, and we can't ignore this," he said, turning to the headmaster.

"I see," was all that Professor Dumbledore said.

He stood up, probably weighing his options. Rose knew Dumbledore had a good chance of fighting all of them at once if what she had read about him was true. Was he considering that though? She never heard anything about Dumbledore fighting with his allies. Besides, a struggle wouldn't guarantee keeping the time unchanged, many things could happen in a confrontation like that.

"Albus, I think you should go now," Rose's grandfather said.

"I'm not the enemy here, Arthur. Your son was not underage at the time this happened. I guess he got to live a peaceful and happy life, something people in this war will not have the privilege to experience. I want to be sure you know what this means. People who didn't die on the original timeline could die now. The war could be lost."

Every word from the headmaster made Rose feel heavier, as if each one was another rock she had to carry. She knew all of those things, and she had still brought her and Hugo back.

"I know you're right. I know they did terribly wrong," Rose's grandfather answered. "But I can't stand at your side, Albus. Not on this. You should go. We'll talk later, once we have thought this through, all of us."

Albus Dumbledore nodded eventually. "So be it. Can I at least take this artifact with me?"

His attentive blue eyes had fixed on the small table where the Time-Turner was resting.

"Not now. We don't want you trying anything behind our backs. Sorry."

The headmaster didn't look surprised. "I know the way out."

Before walking away, the old man turned to Rose. His expression didn't change, yet somehow she knew he was disappointed.

As soon as Professor Dumbledore left, Rose's grandfather went outside too. Rose and Hugo were quickly embraced by their grandmother, who squeezed them tightly, as if their lives depended on it. "Everything will be alright, don't worry," she said. Her hands were shaking and Rose saw that her eyes were watering. That broke her more than everybody else's reaction. She had done that to her grandmother through her reckless actions, and this knowledge suddenly came crashing into her.

Rose had never exactly been the emotional type, not for the crying part at least. However, at that moment it all came down on her at once. She started sobbing, no longer trying to remain strong for her brother.

When her grandmother let them go, Rose spared a glimpse at her uncles, who were still in the living room. The twins had gone pale, their eyes lost in the distance. She had never seen Uncle George so silent in her entire life, and that was counting the time he accidentally shrunk his own tongue. Uncle Bill was resting against a wall, gripping his wand and clearly sweating. A few moments earlier, all of them had been ready to fight Albus Dumbledore, and they were going to do it because of them. Two kids they barely knew.

"I'm sorry, Grandma, we really didn't think this through. If I had just—" Rose rushed to say with tears in her eyes.

"It wasn't Rose's fault, I wanted to come too," Hugo said, just as upset.

Uncle Bill stared at them, twirling his wand. Rose didn't know what he was thinking or if he was blaming them for all of it. He should be, Rose thought.

Soon Rose's grandfather was back in the room, "It's done. No one from the Order will be able to enter through the wards, not without our consent. Only Weasleys."

They were leaving the Order? Rose's eyebrows shot upwards, and she bit her lip anxiously. She was already affecting time much more than she had ever planned to.

"What about Fleur? She's out with Tonks," Uncle Bill asked worriedly.

"Go get her. We need to tell her," his father answered grimly.

Uncle Bill threw one last look at Rose and Hugo before leaving the house.

Arthur Weasley walked up to his grandkids. "You need to understand something. All of you do," he said the last part to the twins as well. "What Rose and Hugo have done was a big mistake. They have compromised a lot and I can't lie about it. It hurts me to say it, but Albus is right."

"I'm sorry Grandpa, it was just a foolish impulse. We were just—" Rose started, but she was interrupted by a gesture from her grandfather.

"It was wrong and maybe there's nothing we can do to fix this damage," he said, putting a heavy hand on his balding head. "Still, I can imagine what you must have been feeling, to do something like this. We're here for you. I don't know what we'll do about Ron yet, but you're safe with us. This will always be your house. We are your family."

Rose nodded, containing her tears. After that nutter of a night and the dreadful conversation with the headmaster, that was all they needed. A family.

"Arthur, we have to do something about Ron."

"He's not in immediate danger, is he?" he asked Rose and Hugo. When they shook their heads, he continued. "In that case, we'll see what the best course of action is later. For now, I think we can use some rest."

"We can stay," said one of the twins.

"You don't have to, there's not much to do here for the time being. The Order is not the enemy, they're just not sharing all of our goals at the moment. You only need to watch out for Death Eaters, as you have been doing so far. No word of this to anyone though, and especially no owls to Hogwarts."

Both of them nodded.

"I guess you kids must be tired. Hugo dear, you can stay in your father's room for now," said Rose's grandmother. "Rose, you know where your Aunt Ginny's room is, don't you? I don't think she would mind."

Rose took her brother upstairs to get some rest. After all, between the Knight Bus and the walk from town, they didn't sleep at all the previous night. She didn't go into her aunt's room though. They both headed to the last story without having to think twice.

The moment they entered the familiar room, they were overwhelmed. It had a lot more things than they remembered, but they were good things. Orange and Quidditch all around, the room had the comforting look to it that was so recognizable to them. Rose walked to the bed and fell there, looking at the ceiling.

"Is everything going to be okay?" Hugo's voice came to Rose as he rested on a camp bed next to her.

"I don't know, Hugo. Grandpa said the truth. We shouldn't be here."

"But we are. So is the plan still on? Are we going to bring Dad and Mum together sooner? It shouldn't be that hard, you heard them, they already fancy each other," Hugo insisted.

Rose shrugged. "I— I really don't know. We'll see what Grandpa says once the dust has settled. Even if we were trying to bring them together, how are we going to reach them when they're at Hogwarts? We would have to wait a few months, for Christmas."

All in all, Rose had no idea how to proceed. It was not like she could wait for them at the train station with some mistletoe ready. They would think she was just a barmy stranger instead of their barmy daughter.

Hugo went on after a brief pause. "What if Dumbledore keeps them there? What if he doesn't let them come back?"

She was startled as that thought hadn't crossed her mind, yet it felt unlikely. At least, she hoped so. "I don't think he would do that. People would become suspicious and Grandpa wouldn't let him. Besides, we can always write to them, or— I don't know, something. There must be a way of contacting them."

Soon, Rose fell asleep, beaten by the tiredness. She didn't dream at all, yet somehow her worries were running through her thoughts the whole time. It was as if she was in a dark place with no way out, no shining light at the end of the tunnel. She had tried to do things better and now she didn't know if she could stop them from becoming worse.

It felt like a long time had passed before she finally woke up from her kip, numb and replenished. Judging by the waning sun in the window, it was well past noon. The first thing Rose noticed was that she was covered by a blanket and that her trainers were neatly arranged by the foot of the bed. Hugo was still asleep, Rose imagined he hadn't noticed their grandmother coming into the room either.

Rose stood up and glanced at some of her father's belongings. Her smile appeared at the moving Quidditch posters and old banners from the Chudley Cannons, her father's lifelong team. It was Rose's team as well, by some blasted sense of family loyalty. It was a frustrating affair, cheering for the Cannons. They were rubbish most seasons, and even worse the rest of the time.

Her eyes continued studying the place, soaking up the comforting familiarity of it all. There were no signs of a chess set or a broom, Rose noticed. Her father must have taken those to Hogwarts with him. After everything that had happened, it seemed unreal to think he was alive, wandering somewhere around the Hogwarts halls as any other normal student. He could even be laughing at that very moment.

Rose smiled, she really wished she could see him again, even if it was just for a moment. She needed to convince herself once and for all that his heart was beating at the exact same time as hers. In spite of feeling incredibly guilty, she thought that if he was alive then everything would have been worth it.

 _"No matter what you do, I'll always be proud of you, Rosie,"_ her father had told her the last time they were alone.

Fighting back tears, Rose wondered if he would be proud of this, of what they were risking to see him. In a way, Rose had endangered Hugo and her mother's lives as well, along with the lives of the rest of the world. She couldn't imagine her father agreeing to that.

The memory of her last encounter with her father was too painful though, so she tried to keep it away from her thoughts. Rose went on through the room, to keep herself from remembering more of it. Without realizing it, she had picked up a moving picture of her parents and Uncle Harry. The three of them were laughing in it as her mother pulled them together for the shot. They looked happy… so happy. Rose was just wondering what it would be like to see them at this age when the door opened.

"Oh, hello dear. Didn't realize you were awake," said her grandmother.

"Hi grandma, I just got up," Rose answered, putting the photograph back.

The woman was looking at her with a bittersweet smile, one Rose wasn't used to. "You'll see him soon enough. We'll find a way."

Rose nodded, taking comfort in her grandmother's words.

"How did you sleep?"

"Heavier than a rock. I was knackered."

The woman turned her eyes to the bed where Hugo was still sleeping. "Is your brother going to—"

"Not now."

"Just like Ron," the woman answered, her eyes puffy and red.

As if reading her thoughts, her grandmother made a gesture for Rose to hug her. Rose embraced her tightly, pretending that she was not soaking her blouse with tears. Not at all.

"Grandma, I—" Rose started, but she didn't know how to end the phrase. Did she want to tell her that she was sorry? Or that she would fix this? Or just that she missed her parents more than anything in the world? It was probably all of them at once.

"I know," the woman answered regardless, patting her back. "It's lovely having you here. Even in the circumstances."

Once they broke apart, Rose smiled at her, feeling loads better.

"You can take a shower if you want to. I had some of Ginny's clothes enlarged, they're not the best but I think they'll fit. I have an eye for this."

"They're perfect. Thank you."

Rose took a considerably long, hot shower, trying to simmer down for a moment. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine she was in the Quidditch showers, relaxing after a long game. It was too difficult, but the hot water did manage to calm her down to some extent.

It wasn't long before she was ready to face her family again.

"I still don't get it," said her Uncle Bill once dinner was over. "If what you say is true, your parents get together in a year or so. How can them being together a year sooner stop Ron from... you know?"

Everyone was looking at Rose and Hugo, even Aunt Fleur who had just been brought up on the whole thing. The Weasleys had avoided the topic for as long as they could, yet Rose knew it had only been a matter of time before someone asked. The girl turned to her grandfather, as if asking for permission.

The man nodded soberly. "Knowledge from the future is dangerous, but we need to know what happened to Ron at least. Otherwise, we can't help."

So, after taking a deep breath, Rose started explaining all about their father's disease. Rose could still hear the healer's words echoing in her ears, how could she forget them? He had a heart problem, one that magic couldn't fix because it had been caused by magic. The girl and her brother told them of that bloody deluminator and how the St. Mungo's healers said it had been the cause of her father's condition.

"It was Dumbledore?" their grandmother finally asked in disbelief. "He gave this— this _thing_ to my son?!"

"Molly, let them finish," her husband urged, yet he was taken aback as well.

Rose nodded. "Uncle Harry was furious, I have never seen him like that. He talked to his portrait, you know — Dumbledore's," some somber nods came at the realization of what that meant. "I don't think Professor Dumbledore was aware the deluminator could have that effect. They said his portrait showed regret, but that he was of little help."

"And being with Hermione will stop him from using this?" Uncle Bill asked, flustered. "Why don't we just stop this thing from getting into his hands? This has nothing to do with Hermione."

"Of course we won't!" Rose's grandmother yelled. "Dumbledore can keep that stupid artifact! This whole mission he set on them is nonsense as well!"

"The mission was needed, that's what Uncle Harry said," Rose said hurriedly. "Without it, he wouldn't have been able to defeat Voldemort."

Rose tried to phrase it in the best possible way, but she left out an important part. _Horcruxes_ , the very thing that kept Voldemort's soul alive, were public knowledge in the future. But Rose had talked with Hugo about hiding that for now before coming downstairs for it was far too dangerous to mention them casually.

Their grandmother's argument didn't stop there. "Someone from the Order could have done it."

"It had to be them," Hugo replied, lowering his voice, "that's what they said."

Rose and Hugo explained about their father leaving their mother and Uncle Harry during the mission, and how the deluminator had brought him back. They hadn't known that part until their mother explained it to them over the summer, she had said Rose and Hugo needed to understand the reason why he had used it. Their mother and Uncle Harry had kept wards on their camp during the Horcrux hunt so their father kept using the deluminator to find them. And he used it a lot.

"He left them?" Uncle Bill was dumbfounded, as well as everybody else.

"He didn't mean to! It was that thing! The Hor— their mission! It messed with his head," Hugo insisted, correcting himself just in the nick of time.

"There was a _thing_ then? Something getting in little Ronnie's pants," one of the twins guessed. Both of them started mumbling about joke products that could alter a person like that, trying to solve the puzzle.

"It must 'ave been somezing powerful, to make 'im leave," Aunt Fleur told uncle Bill softly.

"We don't know what altered him, they didn't tell us. They just said it was something from their mission," Rose lied.

All around theories were exchanged and a few possible culprits were mentioned. Tricky potions and dodgy spells, someone even said the very deluminator could've affected Rose's father in an unknown way. They didn't get close, however. Rose knew the Horcrux was something evil and way beyond any of that.

Rose felt bad about lying, but it was for their own good. She was no stranger to lying for a good cause after all. Like that time she hadn't said James was behind the explosion in the astronomy tower, to avoid Aunt Ginny from killing him. It was debatable how much of a good cause that had been though.

"I don't want to hear another thing about that mission ever again!" Rose's grandmother shouted in the end.

"Molly dear, it seems to be required for the war to end. If we can explain to Albus that this deluminator is dangerous then maybe we can change everything back to the way it was before."

"I don't care about the way it was before! I don't want them risking their lives like that! I want that mission gone!"

Everything was a blur. The only thing Rose was certain of was that if her parents had been together then there would be no way her father would have had to use that deluminator. She was convinced he wouldn't leave her mother like that.

Rose remembered seeing her crying last night. It had been the first time the three of them had been alone since the funeral. Their house had felt foreign, and every room Rose had walked into seemed painfully empty. The very walls around her had felt farther yet closer to her at the same time. Even so, the harsher part had been hearing her mother's cries from the other side of the bedroom door, saying to no one that she shouldn't have let him leave. It had pushed Rose over the edge and, before she knew it, the girl had stormed into her mother's office looking for an answer.

Yes, her father wouldn't need the stupid deluminator if only he had her mother at the time. Rose was sure of it. Even if getting them together didn't seem like the right answer anymore.

Taking the deluminator entirely away had never been the plan. It would affect the future too much, she had thought. Getting their parents together had felt like a smaller change compared to making an artifact mentioned in Albus Dumbledore's will disappear. However, as soon as they went back, it became clear there was no way of proceeding without altering other things. Rose realized that in the new state of things, it was easier to stop their father from getting the deluminator altogether.

_Then what?_

Rose didn't know. She didn't even have a plan to return. Their presence in the past was going to affect the future more than the deluminator, and her grandmother was already opposing a mission that needed to happen. Everything was a mess.

"We'll have to leave this for later," Rose's grandfather finally said. "I'll need to talk to Albus. Hopefully, we can come to an agreement."

"Are you going to floo him?"

"Tomorrow. Or maybe he'll send something first. This has been hard for all of us but we're a family and we'll get through it."

With that, they all nodded and decided to call it a day. Aunt Fleur left to go to her flat, as they all decided the Order was not a danger for her. The Weasleys were still sorting some things out when Rose and Hugo went upstairs, to get a night of much needed sleep.

On the first floor, Rose said goodnight to her brother as she went into Aunt Ginny's bedroom. The girl wondered what was yet to come. The headmaster had to agree to keep the deluminator away from her father, but what if he didn't? Would the Weasleys be forever out of the Order?

As her blue eyes went through her Aunt's room, Rose realized that it was great but not as comforting as her father's had been. She thought of that picture of her parents with Uncle Harry and this time the girl's thoughts went to her mother. The smiling girl in that picture was also the same woman Rose had left behind, grieving and alone.

Was she even there? Or had that future disappeared already?

Rose's mother had always said that time was not a toy. She would surely be fuming with a lifetime ban on Quidditch ready for what they had done. They were already in the past though, so they couldn't take it back. If the headmaster didn't want to help, Rose would have to find a way to save her family without messing with the past further. She had to find a way.


	3. I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up to No Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hugo ponders about decision-making

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Thanks a lot to SnowBear17(ffnet) for helping me beta this story.
> 
> 2\. Any error here is mine and not from my reviewer. If you spot anything or have a doubt about the grammar used or plot just PM me, I'm always swift to answer.
> 
> 3\. I am updating the way in which I decide which chapters of which stories to write next. On my ffnet profile for now, since profile here allows fewer characters and I haven't figure out the best way of communicating across multiple sites. Trying with twitter, but if anyone has a better idea please share.
> 
> 4\. Twitter account I'm using is @TimeTravelFFics
> 
> 5\. Enjoy

By the time Hugo had walked downstairs, everybody was halfway through their breakfast. Rose chatted lively with their grandmother at the table as if they had done it a hundred times before — which at least from Rose's end was true. Hugo had missed most of the conversation, but after a few words it was clear as a bell that it was about his uncles.

"I have to say, even while they seem to be doing well, I still have some serious misgivings about that joke shop. A part of me hoped they would have decided for a more traditional path, if you know what I mean," the woman said as Rose smiled at her.

Hugo knew his sister wasn't going to tell her about the massive success his father and Uncle George had with the joke shop. After all, the plan was to share only the bare minimum about the future.

When Hugo sat next to Rose, the girl teased him about his lateness with a grin. "Glad to see you weren't eaten up by those sheets."

Hugo was glad to see her smile, it was refreshing after their latest adventure. However, his sister was a tad too annoying about the proper times for breakfast. "Oh, knock it off, would you? I'm here already. Besides, it's not like we have classes or anything."

That much was true. They weren't expected at Hogwarts, so there was no reason why Hugo couldn't sleep in. Besides, they had been knackered after spending the night out and, as if that wasn't enough of a reason, it was a Saturday. From Hugo's point of view, it would be a crime not to take advantage of a good night's sleep.

While his grandmother headed to the stove to fetch him some breakfast, Hugo said good morning to the rest of his family. Across the table, the boy's grandfather was going through the morning paper as if nothing weird was going on, and next to him Uncle Bill sipped quietly from his steaming mug of tea. The twins weren't around, but that didn't surprise Hugo since he knew the joke shop was open on weekends. But at least his family appeared to be in a better mood this morning, it wasn't only Rose who looked more relaxed.

"We'll have to do something about that as well. Your classes, that is," said Hugo's grandfather, putting the paper down for a moment.

"What do you mean?" asked Rose, furrowing her brow.

"You were in the middle of the school year when you came here, dear," added their grandmother as she bustled about the kitchen. "You have to study if you don't want to be terribly behind once you resume your classes, whenever that might be."

It seemed odd to Hugo, talking about their education right now, in the middle of this. He wasn't sure how that could work out, especially since they couldn't just go to Hogwarts expecting to not be discovered.

_As if Dumbledore would ever let that happen._

"Remus could be of help, to homeschool them. But I'm not sure if Dumbledore would be okay with telling him about Rose and Hugo," Uncle Bill remarked.

Hugo's grandfather nodded gravely. "Guess it's another thing to bring up once I talk to Albus."

Homeschooling wouldn't be too bad, Hugo thought. He was comfortable enough with school work, even if he wasn't as passionate about it as his sister. Still, some part of him held the foolish hope of going back to Hogwarts, even if they kept them in Hagrid's hut or something.

It was then that Hugo's grandmother put a plate in front of him and the boy's attention shifted to the sausages before him. The smell was rather enticing and he couldn't wait to put his fork to good use.

" _Food is like my own personal rennervate_ " had been one of his father's recurring phrases.

It had been true for Hugo as well, at least until his father died. For over a week now, not even food had been able to raise the boy's spirits. The very taste of things seemed to have vanished from the earth for Hugo. It wasn't until last morning, when they had arrived at the Burrow, that Hugo's appetite finally returned.

"What school year are you in?" asked their grandmother.

Hugo wanted to answer, but his mouth was too jam-packed to even try. "Sixth. Hugo is in his fourth year," Rose said for them.

"Sixth, really? Your parents are in their sixth year as well."

"It was also October fourth when we left, we set the Time-Turner to exactly 26 years into the past. We were just one month or so into the term when it happened," Rose said, lowering her eyes.

"Don't you worry, dear. We won't lose any Weasley this time."

Hugo looked away from his grandmother nervously, not having the courage to meet her eyes. He knew she was talking about their father, yet Hugo couldn't stop himself from shooting a nervous look at Rose. Trying not to glance at the empty seats where the twins sat down the day before, Hugo bit his lip worriedly.

When they had first made the decision of travelling back in time, Hugo and Rose hadn't thought about their Uncle Fred at all. However, now that they were here, it was hard not to. They were already planning to save their father, would it really be that bad if they saved their Uncle Fred as well?

In the future, Hugo's father had added his own spin to the joke shop. Based on a keen business strategy and lucky hunches, he helped open the shop's Hogsmeade branch and raise the brand to new heights. However, Hugo couldn't stop but wonder how amazingly hectic the joke shop could be if Uncle Fred had lived, how spectacular it would have been for the three of them to run the joke shop together.

Just one more change, was it too much to ask?

Hugo knew they had to focus on saving their father first, but he wanted to believe that a way to save Uncle Fred would come to them at some point. He truly hoped so.

The conversation at the table continued for a while, and it was much calmer and brighter than Hugo had anticipated. The other Weasleys treated them as family, even if they didn't really know much about them. He imagined the fact that his father was still alive and not in immediate danger helped ease the Weasleys as well, who valued family above all.

In the middle of all that, Hugo was overjoyed to see his sister smile again. They had gone through the worst days of their lives, which had been especially hard for Rose. She didn't only have to deal with the grief of their father's passing but she had done while trying to stay strong for him. Some ulterior older-sister principle made Rose feel responsible for the both of them, every single time. As if it was somehow her fault whenever something bad happened to Hugo. The boy wished he could find a way to ease her worries, and convince her to share the burden she had taken as hers ever since their father had died.

After all, Hugo could have said no when Rose took the time turner and looked at him, waiting for his answer. And he had certainly said yes.

It hadn't been easy. Unlike his sister, making the decision had been more troublesome for Hugo than dealing with the actual outcome of it. Yes, they had chosen wrong and it was uncertain what the headmaster's actions would be as a result. However, in an odd way, dealing with a wrong decision didn't scare the boy half as much as the responsibility of making the decision in the first place. He was weird like that. Hugo liked to wonder about ' _what-ifs_ ' and was fairly good at predicting their outcomes, but it was still excruciating to choose when so much depended on it.

With some luck, his grandfather would think of a good plan that would end up convincing the headmaster. Better yet if it was one that involved Hugo and Rose seeing their father again.

" _Hope is a pesky little thing,_ " Hugo's father used to say after an excruciatingly bad Quidditch year for the Chudley Cannons. " _You think you're done with it, but the next season starts and you realize it was never really gone._ "

No matter how complicated things were, Hugo always preferred to stay hopeful. After all, staying busy figuring out a solution was a brilliant way to not dwell in regrets. Hugo knew the most pressing issue at the moment was saving his father without messing with the past any further. Every idea in his head was valued based on if it helped him achieve that goal or not. Extra points for ideas that let him see his parents faster.

"So, where's Uncle Percy?" Hugo asked thoughtlessly once he was done with his breakfast.

Whatever reaction he was expecting, it was certainly not the one he got. His grandmother seemed to lose her words and her eyes began to water a little while Uncle Bill's brow narrowed at once, his once calm and relaxed face hardening instantly. Clutching the newspaper tightly, his grandfather's expression soured. It was then that Hugo and Ron found out about Uncle Percy.

Hugo knew his uncle Percy had had some sort of misunderstanding with the family around this time, but he had never imagined it was this bad. His uncle was not even talking to any of them, like not at all.

Rose told them about uncle Percy's eventual return, as their family had figured it out from their reactions more or less. Hugo was actually glad, for the news brought great joy and relief to his grandparents.

There was no such thing as bad-timed joy, Hugo learned.

"We could get Uncle Percy back sooner," Hugo suggested on their way upstairs, sometime after breakfast.

"Hugo, we can't change too many things, remember? We've done plenty of damage already," his sister warned him.

"What about…" Hugo started, glancing around and lowering his voice. "Uncle Fred?"

Rose's eyes widened, and she looked around in a panic. Once she realized they were alone, the girl turned to Hugo with a frown. "You shouldn't be saying that, they might hear you," she scolded him hurriedly, lowering her voice.

But there was no change on Hugo's face and he didn't say anything else. He just stared at his sister, still waiting for an answer.

Eventually Rose sighed, biting her lip. "I don't know, okay? It was never the plan, but I feel guilty hiding this from Grandma. Maybe something can come up later."

"What if we change things by accident? If things can't go back to the way they were before, can we try to change things then?"

Rose snorted. "This isn't something to take lightly, Hugo. We'll fix things, but we have to try to stay as close as possible to the way they were before. If things work out, we'll find something to do about Uncle Fred. Trying to fix Uncle Percy's situation as well is just pushing our luck."

"Alright," Hugo muttered begrudgingly.

The weird affair of a day went on. At times, when they were in the living room talking to their grandparents, it seemed like the most familiar of times, as if nothing were out of place. But Hugo and Rose also spent some time in their father's room waiting for news from Professor Dumbledore. Those were the moments that made Hugo realize that they weren't home. Not properly.

The twins had been out all day, but Hugo's grandmother promised that they would be home by dinner. It made the boy wonder what they would say now that they had time to think through the situation properly. Uncle Bill had certainly changed, even if only a little bit. He was quiet most of the time but he didn't look mad anymore, just worried. The eldest Weasley brother talked to them and even smiled once in a while, but he was engaged in private conversations with Hugo's grandfather for most of the day.

There was also the situation with Uncle Percy. Hugo's father used to say his older brother had been pompous and a dreadful champion of the rules in the past, and even Uncle Percy was quick to agree to that with a laugh. Hugo had no trouble believing it, however it seemed unreal that his uncle had gotten to the point of leaving his family entirely over rules and whatnot. He knew Uncle Percy was the most composed and law-abiding Weasley brother, yet he was no stranger to the occasional laugh either. Sometimes, he even helped Uncle George figure out tricky spells, which ended up being used in a joke product.

Hugo had a very clear memory of last Christmas that was hard to forget at the moment. Rose had been studying non-stop through most of the break, for she had O.W.L.s that year. Every time James or Roxanne came by with a distraction, she looked on the brink of chewing their heads off. It was when she refused to play Quidditch in the morning before Christmas Eve that Uncle Percy went to her.

" _Good books can last centuries, Rose_ ," he had said, taking her book away before Rose could react. " _This one will still be here when you get back from Quidditch, but your family might not wait that long_."

It had been the greatest of games, that one. Rose played keeper that day, as she usually did outside of Hogwarts. She had made some saves that Hugo could've sworn were sure goals, much to James' frustration. Once it was over, Uncle Percy was quick to return Rose's book, along with some pointers on disillusionment charms.

Hugo wished he could save his father, his Uncle Fred, and bring back Uncle Percy as well. He knew that was hardly in the cards, though.

All in all, Hugo and Rose had a slow day. Aunt Fleur arrived for lunch, but she left shortly after along with Hugo's grandfather and Uncle Bill.

"What do you reckon they'll talk about?" Hugo said sometime later, lying on the camp bed in his father's room. Exploding snaps weren't half as fun as chess, so they had got bored of it eventually and stopped playing. Rose was pacing around the room, looking at their father's belongings for the umpteenth time.

"Who? Grandpa and Professor Dumbledore?" she asked, turning to her brother.

"Yeah."

"I don't know. Perhaps Dumbledore will try to convince Grandpa the best thing to do is to erase everyone's memories."

"They wouldn't do that, right?" Hugo said, lifting his upper body from the bed in surprise. Then he hurried to say his next words, in a proper Hermione-ish way as his father would say. "I mean, we're already here and they can't. Can they? Where would that put us? Would he try to lock us somewhere while the war finishes? It didn't seem like he knew how to send us back."

"I guess that's why Dumbledore wanted to look at the Time-Turner."

"Rubbish! Grandpa wouldn't agree to that. And you listened to him, he wants to help us with Dad."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Grandpa didn't say that. He said he still had to think about what to do. He knows it was wrong too."

Hugo huffed and let himself fall back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. The silence was unnerving as he thought about what to say next. "What if we write to him?" he finally asked, trying to sound casual.

"Who? Dad? Are you nuts!? Grandpa said that—"

"Alright, alright, knock it off! It was just an idea."

They remained silent for a moment, Hugo frowning and Rose furrowing her brow. Albus Dumbledore was the greatest wizard alive, but would he really do something as cruel as wiping everyone else's memories of them? Leaving them alone? What would Dumbledore do if their grandfather didn't agree with him? Hugo's parents were at Hogwarts at that moment, and so were Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny. From the stories he was told, they were all very close to the headmaster, but they probably didn't have any idea of what was going on.

Hugo heard a slow sigh from his sister as she sat down on the bed beside him.

"Look, I miss him too, okay? Let's see what Grandpa says first."

Hugo nodded. "But if Dumbledore insists on wiping memories or in giving that ruddy deluminator to Dad, we'll contact him then, right?"

"It's a possibility, but not by a letter. That's way too dangerous." Hugo looked at her in confusion, not comprehending what she had said. "There are Death Eaters out there, Hugo! Tom Riddle is too! We can't risk an owl being intercepted. I assume it would be pretty bad if they found out about us."

Hugo's eyes widened as he took in what Rose said. He hadn't thought about that. Voldemort was alive and, if he found out about them, Hugo couldn't imagine what problems would arise. The dark wizard would surely try to change things if he knew that he had been defeated in their time. Their presence there was turning more problematic with each new possibility.

"Okay," Hugo finally answered.

Not for the first time, Hugo noticed that Rose had a lot of their father in her. It was obvious when she was playing Quidditch or having any kind of fun with her friends or cousins. However, when she felt strongly about something, his sister was almost like their mother too.

Hugo missed his mother, even when he knew she would agree with Rose. Their mother tried to approach problems by making an effort to listen and always in a loving way. Nevertheless, she had a clear idea of how things should be and valued rules whole-heartily over anything else. Rules were her job in a way, considering she was the Minister of Magic.

Being the head of magical Britain was not an easy task, Hugo understood. For his mother, the job was more like a hard-earned responsibility than an opportunity to shine. Putting her name in history was far less important to her than procuring a system that would be just and helpful to all the magical communities in the country.

All of that took a lot of her time, yet she always managed to get some space for her family, and had given them her full attention. Besides, Hugo's father was usually quick in coming up with spontaneous field trips to take her mind off of important matters.

" _You're a brilliant boy and have your father's heart. You'll know what's the right thing to do, Hugo,_ " was what his mother would say. She always expected them to make the right call, but she wanted them to realize which one it was by themselves.

Hugo knew she would be disappointed in them for taking the Time-Turner and would give them a lengthy speech about it. Even so, Hugo wished she could be there for them right now, even if it were only to double-check their choices.

The rest of the day passed by in a blur, and when the twins had arrived it was almost time for dinner. They came to the Burrow in a hurry, carrying a few small boxes from the joke shop as they stumbled into the living room.

"Good evening, present and future family!" they announced with a bang.

Hugo's grandmother sighed, shaking her head. "How was work? Anything unexpected?"

"Unexpected as in unsuspecting customers getting elephant trunks as side-effects, or as in the more time-travelly version of the word?" asked one of the twins.

"Don't play that folly with me, you know what I mean."

One of his uncles looked upwards, making a thinking gesture. "Well, Tonks came by. She insisted on not being interested in the _WonderWitch_ line, but we know better. Probably just playing tricky snitch to get a hold of bigger discounts."

"That shrewd witch!" added the other twin. Hugo still wasn't sure how to distinguish one from the other, much to his amusement and annoyance.

"You didn't mention anything, did you?" asked Hugo's grandfather carefully. He had been rather serious since he returned home an hour before.

"Absolutely not. But she's not daft, she knows something fishy is up."

Hugo's grandfather nodded and asked them to remain cautious as the twins made their way to the stairs. Hugo didn't want to be left with any lingering doubt, so he asked something he had been thinking about since they had entered the house.

"What's up with the boxes?"

"Oh, these are defective products. Things we need to get a second look at. One has to honour the guarantee."

The other twin moved forward and almost threw one of the smaller boxes at Hugo, who was barely able to catch it. "Here, be a good nephew and help us out."

"You're giving Hugo defective joke products?" their mother started, visibly alarmed.

"They're harmless, mother. Otherwise, they wouldn't be defective," one of Hugo's uncles said, earning a glare from his mother.

Hugo was already on his way upstairs though. "It's okay, grandma. I can help."

The woman narrowed her eyes at them, but decided to let it go. "Alright, but those boxes better not have anything dangerous in them."

The twins hurried the boy up to their room, one saluting Hugo's grandmother. Rose raised an eyebrow, yet she stayed in the living room, talking with her grandmother.

For a lack of a better word, Hugo found the twins' room to be chaotic. In his future, Hugo had seen the room plenty of times, but that was a ghost of its current self. While the future room was mostly used by Freddie or Roxanne when they occasionally slept over at the Burrow, the room before Hugo's eyes now was a colourful festival of moving trickeries. Whizzing and bustling sounds covered the whole place like some kind of four-walled circus.

The twins were delighted by the gaping expression on their nephew. "Hugo Weasley, we present to you the place where all our barmy ideas are born."

"Wicked," the boy said in awe once he finally found his voice. "How do you even sleep here?"

"Good question. We don't. We have a place at the joke shop you see, and we stay there every day now. This is mostly storage."

Hugo let down the box he was carrying with a loud thud, not even bothering to be gentle. "Oi! Careful! Those are _Thor's Thunder Crackers_ , we don't want an incident here."

A confused look came to Hugo. "You just said the boxes weren't dangerous."

"They're harmless unless activated. Still, you have to consider these are defective products, you never know."

Hugo was baffled. "But you said to grandma that… Oh, forget it!"

The boy was familiar with the thunder crackers, and if that stuff was really in the boxes he should be careful. The plan was to not change the past, after all, and Hugo was sure that included not burning the whole Burrow down to its foundations.

At the table on the back of the room, something caught Hugo's attention. "Woah, are those sticky trainers?"

"They are, indeed. Glad you're a fan of our work. Guess we still make those in the future."

Hugo tried to be careful, as he knew it wouldn't be good to reveal something he wasn't supposed to. There was something in particular he needed to be more careful about. His Uncle Fred's death. The worst information he could slip right now was that the joke shop wasn't run by both twins anymore, but by Uncle George and Hugo's father.

 _Well, only by Uncle George now_ , Hugo realized dejectedly.

"They're green in my time. Mum never let me have those," he said weakly, taking a closer look at the trainers.

"Is that so?" asked his uncle, shaking his head in disapproval. "Seems like our dear sister-in-law hasn't changed much over the years."

"Seems so, George," Uncle Fred said as he arranged the other boxes on a nearby shelf.

Soon Uncle Fred rejoined his twin and they both turned to stare at Hugo. It occurred to the boy then that they hadn't brought him all the way up there just to have him help them with some boxes.

"So how is it faring, are you liking the past so far?" asked Uncle Fred.

"Not finding it a bit old-fashioned?" added Uncle George.

"Er, well, I haven't seen much."

"That's true. Not much to see here in this old house. You haven't even seen your parents."

"Yet."

That made Hugo's eyes widen with hope. "Do you really think I will? Dumbledore has to let us, right?"

"Hugo, Hugo, Hugo..." started Uncle George as he put an arm on his nephew's shoulders. "If I know a thing about pranks, it's that they always have a climax. Even if they don't work as intended, they have to do _something_. Unlike these gutting thunder crackers."

"Agreed. What's the point otherwise?"

"This wasn't a prank," said Hugo, nervously. He knew Uncle George wouldn't blame him. Would he?

"It wasn't, but at the same time, it was."

Uncle George nodded to his brother's comment as if they were sharing ancient wisdom with their nephew.

"I don't get it." Hugo was befuddled, the time travel incident was the furthest thing from a prank that Hugo could think of.

"It's easy really. Your whole gimmick with the Time-Turner had an honourable purpose, I'll give you that, but think about the reactions. Dumbledore's, Bill's... how do you think your parents are going to react to, well, you?"

"Surprised?"

"Ha, that's a way to put it," said Uncle Fred, shaking his head.

"Look my dearest nephew—"

"I'm your _only_ nephew."

"He got you there, George. But you saw mum, she's euphoric with all of this. Who would've imagined that it would be little ickle Ronnie would be the one giving her the only grandkids she has."

As the twins pointed that out, Hugo couldn't avoid recalling his future life. Yes, his grandmother was always beaming whenever they were around the Burrow, but Rose and Hugo were far from being the only grandkids she had. He remembered Al, Lily, and Louis, and all those other cousins he might never be able to see again due to their actions.

"We're not her only grandkids," he said.

A smile crept to his uncles' faces, they looked at each other as if Hugo had said just what they were expecting him to say. "So, we do have other nephews and nieces, then? Children of our own, perhaps?" asked Uncle Fred triumphantly.

"Most likely, my brother," his twin agreed.

Hugo's eyes widened, realizing that they had trapped him. "I shouldn't have said that."

"But you did. Don't worry though, it was expected. And we know we shouldn't press you, for now. Not unless—"

"Unless what?" Hugo asked.

"Unless the whole _'not changing the past'_ business is thrown out of the window, that is."

Hugo was gobsmacked. Were they saying that something could go wrong and that they would need to change the past? Or that they were willing to change things even if it didn't? By their mischievous grins, Hugo imagined it was the latter one.

"We're not supposed to change anything," the boy hurried to say.

"Easy there, Hugo. We haven't done anything. We were just saying..." started Uncle Fred

"... that if for some event..."

"... or reason."

"Or reason..." repeated Uncle George slowly, "our nephew needed our help, then, as the honourable uncles we are, it would be impossibly hard to say no to it."

"Like a guarantee."

"Bugger those guarantees!"

For a moment Hugo was left stunned, unsure if he had heard them correctly. All along Hugo had been hoping to see his father again and that Dumbledore would agree to it. Despite that, Rose had made it clear it wasn't going to be that easy. That even writing to him wasn't a likely possibility. Hugo had started to accept that begrudgingly, but his uncles' offer made everything more difficult.

Hugo was speechless, he didn't know how to handle their words. Time shouldn't be changed but on the other hand...

"I would—" the boy stuttered, unsure of what was going to come out of his mouth, but was then interrupted by the door being opened.

It was his grandmother. Hugo almost jumped in his place, as if she had just caught them in some wrong-doing. "Everything okay in here?" she asked.

"Well, of course, mother," one of Hugo's uncles answered calmly.

"Dinner is ready."

"We'll be right there. Looking forward to it," said one of the twins, as if they had just been having an innocent Quidditch talk.

"Hugo dear..."

"Yes, grandma?" Hugo asked, still nervous.

"Your sister's birthday is on Thursday, right?"

The sudden question startled Hugo for a moment. He had almost forgotten about that, even though he had something to give her then. He counted the days and nodded. "Yes, it is, how did you...?"

"She mentioned it, for one of Professor Dumbledore's questions. Now off with you three, dinner is getting cold."

They all nodded and hurried downstairs. And, as he left the room, Hugo realized that he was given something he didn't expect or even want. Another impossible decision.

Dinner was considerably more joyful than the previous day. Everyone at the table seemed to be more comfortable with Hugo and Rose now, even Uncle Bill. The young man was still not his old, boisterous self but he appeared to be more at ease now.

From time to time, Hugo's thoughts would wander away. Thinking of what kind of help the twins could provide, or if he should even accept it. It was good to have someone to count on, but maybe it would be better to leave that only as a last resort. Help that he could use only if things went awry.

That's what Rose would do.

"Remus contacted me today," his grandfather announced once dinner was done. "He knows something important is going on, but it doesn't seem like Albus has told him anything specific. Quite like your encounter with Tonks," he said, looking at the twins.

It took Hugo a moment to realize that they were talking about Teddy's parents. They were both alive and Teddy wasn't even born yet, he didn't think so. Was that another thing they were going to change without intending to? Teddy's parents could live now, but it was also possible that Teddy wouldn't be born this time.

Another thing to handle. Hugo's father, Uncle Fred, Uncle Percy, and now Teddy's parents. It was too much, but Hugo had to remember that he wasn't doing any of it. They were letting things go as close to last time as possible. That was supposed to be the plan.

Hugo's grandfather turned to his grandchildren, a grim look on his face. "Albus did reach out. He has a proposal, a reasonable one, he says."

Next to Rose, their grandmother didn't give a sign that she heard that. She probably knew about it already, and it didn't seem like she was entirely pleased by what her husband was going to say. Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur were paying close attention, yet they didn't seem to be surprised either.

Across the table, however, Hugo noticed the twins were leaning forward, waiting impatiently for the news.

It seemed like Professor Dumbledore had made his argument clear at first, insisting on erasing their memories. But once Hugo's grandfather refused, the old wizard said he had an alternative and that he wanted to meet in person to talk about it.

Hugo exchanged an anxious look with his sister, not really liking the sound of it.

"He says not all of us have to be there. That someone can take Hugo and Rose somewhere else while we talk. So that we can have someone out there knowing the truth about Hugo and Rose, as a guarantee," said their grandfather.

"A guarantee? We don't seem to be getting away from that word today."

"Seems so, my brother."

Hugo was confused about the headmaster's proposal. Where would they go? Would they be safe, or was it all a trap to get them out in the open?

"I was looking for a house for us after the wedding," said Uncle Bill suddenly, turning to Aunt Fleur. "It was supposed to be a surprise."

"I'm sure you'll find ze best one," answered Aunt Fleur, beaming.

"There's one. Aunt Etna is interested in selling me her house in Cornwall, the one we used to go to for vacations a few years ago, remember?" Uncle Bill said, turning to his parents at the last part. "It needs some work and I still have some doubts, but I could finish the deal and take them there tomorrow. Aunt Etna says I just need to say the word to get the keys."

"Shell Cottage?" asked Rose hopefully.

"Yes... you know?"

"Buy it, you'll love it."

Uncle Bill was puzzled at first, but he ended up smiling as he turned to his fiancé. "Guess we have a house."

Aunt Fleur smiled excitedly.

"It's a beautiful place, son. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. But what about protective spells?" asked Hugo's grandfather.

"It has nothing, but Death Eaters don't know of the place, or of Rose and Hugo. _Fidelius_ and the basic things should be enough for tomorrow. I can set everything up in an hour."

Hugo saw his grandfather nod.

"You can set up _Fidelius_ that fast?" asked Rose with her academically curious voice.

Uncle Bill gave her a big, honest smile. For a moment he looked just like Hugo's old uncle from the future. "I'm a quality curse breaker, mind you. I'll be a damn cornish pixie if I can't set it in half that time."

"I still don't trust Albus, not with this," Hugo's grandmother insisted. "And mind your language, Bill, there are children here."

"He said he was bringing Minerva. She seems to be on our side in the obliviating argument."

That seemed to ease things a little for his grandmother. Eventually, they all agreed to hear the old wizard out, at least. They needed to get to a common ground if the Weasleys were going to remain a useful part of the Order.

By the time they went to bed, Hugo was not as tense as he had been before dinner. At least he didn't have to decide if he should take the twins' help for now. He didn't want to make another big decision this soon, especially since they were still going through the consequences of their previous one.

Perhaps the meeting would turn out for the better. Surely Dumbledore would have a plan that didn't involve erasing his family's memories. Maybe there was a chance to see his parents together again.

Hugo could afford to give himself some hope. After all, hope was a pesky little thing, and someone had once told him that it was never really gone.


	4. The Shelter by the Shore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hugo and Rose wait

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Thanks a lot to SnowBear17(ffnet) for helping me beta this story.
> 
> 2\. Any error here is mine and not from my reviewer. If you spot anything or have a doubt about the grammar used or plot just PM me, I'm always swift to answer.
> 
> 3\. My profile has info on my update status. My ffnet profile has more since that accepts more characters.
> 
> 4\. I know info in my profile hasn't moved there in two weeks but that's because I've had tons of work. But no worry, next chapter for Ron's story is almost done.
> 
> 5\. I also have a twitter account that I'm going to use for similar purposes, trying to see if I can make it take off. Account is @TimeTravelFFics
> 
> 6\. Thanks for the reviews so far and enjoy.

The next morning, everyone at the Burrow woke up in a jittery mood. It was not precisely a sense that something bad was going to happen, but a rather weird mix of anticipation and cautiousness.

Depending on how the meeting went with Professor Dumbledore, their situation could be drastically different by the end of the day. The headmaster could have decided to help them with their father's situation, or he could just as well do the opposite, leaving the Weasleys officially out of the Order of the Phoenix.

Hugo wasn't sure how that could play out, but he imagined it would only complicate things if Dumbledore did so.

Breakfast was a silent affair, and way too early for Hugo's taste. Only Rose and his grandparents were there because all of his uncles had left to their respective tasks. The twins must have been setting things up at the joke shop already, but they were going to close early since they didn't want to miss the meeting with the headmaster. Uncle Bill had reached out to his Aunt Etna and would be sorting out the house deal as Hugo ate his bacon.

At Hugo's side, Rose was lost in thought. She wanted to do something about their father as much as Hugo, the boy knew that. However, she favoured the plans that followed a proper adherence to the rules.

For obvious reasons, Hugo hadn't told her about the twins' offer yet.

"Everything will be alright," said Hugo's grandmother firmly at some point. "Your grandfather and I won't agree to anything that endangers you two or Ron."

"Thank you, Grandma."

"No need to thank me, Rose. I'm your grandmother, it's my duty to look after you."

Rose beamed at her.

"Just so you're aware, our position is simple," added Hugo's grandfather after a quick sip from his tea. "We want you and Ron safe. No deluminator. No memories erased. We're willing to surrender the Time-Turner if it helps our case. And we will also give our word that we will not change the future more than needed. We'll see about the mission, though."

Hugo's grandmother snorted, clearly she still wasn't pleased about the mission.

"And if we're lucky we might get Remus to teach you while we figure out how to return you to your time."

"Sounds fair," said Hugo.

It wasn't all that the boy wanted, but it was certainly all that they needed. He couldn't really see how they could get more out of the headmaster, after all. Hopefully, the old man would agree to their grandfather's terms without too much trouble.

_If not, the twins would be willing to help._ The thought came suddenly, yet Hugo dismissed it at once. There was no point of thinking about alternatives before the initial plan was ruled out.

Rose smiled widely and nodded. "We're sorry for causing so much of a hassle. I know it must be difficult, as you barely know us and we've put you all in such a tough spot. But I wanted to say that we really appreciate all of this."

"Your mistakes are in the past now. And we Weasleys deal with problems as a family."

The words from his grandparents relaxed Hugo. He knew that they would always help him and his sister, no matter what happened. It made a huge difference to have them on their side.

Hugo thought of his muggle grandparents as well, his mother's parents that was. They were also very kind and Hugo loved spending time with them. However, the boy realized that there was no way he could see them in the foreseeable future. They would totally freak out with the whole time travelling situation, especially Grandpa Robert who would just ramble on about how that sort of thing only happened in the movies. Maybe they wouldn't even believe Hugo and Rose. After all, it took him a while to get over all of the spells Hugo's father used behind his mother's back at their last camping trip.

It was a weird combination, Hugo's grandparents. Arthur Weasley and Robert Granger were certainly different, but they shared some things for sure. Both of them were greatly amazed by each other's world, and whenever they got together Hugo enjoyed their comical exchanges. Hugo's father would usually go nuts trying to prevent one from using muggle devices the wrong way while explaining to the other how cushioning charms worked on broomsticks.

It was silly really, how one remembered the small details of family gatherings once they changed forever.

As they moved toward the living room, Hugo's grandparents gave them some last encouraging words for the day. Rose had barely said that they were all set when the front door opened, Uncle Bill hurrying in.

"It's ready, let's go. Fleur is waiting for us there," he said.

Hugo was surprised at how quickly this was moving. His grandfather and Uncle Bill had insisted on having the meeting that day, since it being a Sunday made things easier for them. Still, the house deal must have been all but done already if Uncle Bill was able to sort it out so fast.

Rose and Hugo said their goodbyes, and their grandparents promised to let them know as soon as the meeting was over. Then, they were out of the house.

Hugo had never really liked side-along apparition. It was a nasty sensation, as if someone had grabbed him by the guts and pulled him inward, just to kick him out recklessly somewhere else. Even so, as soon as the fresh smell of the sea reached his nostrils, the boy relaxed somehow even though he still felt a bit queasy.

In the future, it was always a fun experience to spend some time at Uncle Bill's house. It wasn't that big, but it being far away from any other place made it feel as if the very sea belonged to its yard.

Playing Quidditch with the sea breeze whipping against his face was something else entirely. Although, the whimsical rush of the wind made finding the snitch quite a difficult and unpredictable task.

_"It evens the playing field, having Al struggle as much as the non-quidditch players do,"_ his cousin Louis would say.

He was right of course. Al wasn't the next Viktor Krum by any means, but he had finally made it to the Quidditch team last year. He had the advantage of being one of the few people in the family who knew how to play as a Seeker.

On the other hand, Louis Weasley struggled quite a bit whenever he was on a broom. He was the youngest son of Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur, and a rather bookish bloke who only played Quidditch with the family. He didn't like the idea of embarrassing himself in school, something Hugo could understand. He was one of James' closest friends, which was a group where three out of four of the members were cousins.

The relationship Hugo had with Louis' sisters wasn't as close, though. Victoire was way older than him and had finished her years at Hogwarts by the time Hugo started there. And while Dominique was younger and had a good relationship with Rose, she was also way older than Hugo.

It could be that Hugo wouldn't be able to see any of them again.

As they followed Uncle Bill by the shore, the only thing disrupting the calm noise of the sea was the crushing sound of their steps on the dry leaves littering the ground. Even so, it wasn't a long walk. After a short distance of walking by dry bushes and sand, Hugo spotted the small hill where Uncle Bill's house was supposed to be standing. The odd thing was that there was no house in sight, and the wind seemed to race through the area unchallenged.

"You did put all of the charms in place," Rose said in awe.

"I did tell you I was fast with those," Uncle Bill said playfully. "You know about the house already, so I guess I don't need to tell you about it for the _Fidelius_ to let you in."

Rose and Hugo nodded.

As if on cue, the air seemed to bend around them with their next step, and then suddenly the familiar Shell Cottage appeared in the distance before them. At least Hugo didn't have to throw rocks at an invisible barrier this time.

"It's nice, isn't it? To be able to cross without landing on your arse," Hugo said thoughtfully, teasing his sister.

"Very funny."

Uncle Bill didn't say a thing, but he couldn't hide the smile that crept onto his face.

From the outside, the house looked exactly as Hugo remembered it to be, though it surely didn't have Dobby the elf's grave in its yard. Nevertheless, once the door opened, Hugo saw how void and dirty it actually was.

The wood creaked loudly, and the light coming through the torn-up curtains made all of the particles of dust in the air stand out. Most of the furniture didn't even seem like it could stand their weight without breaking apart.

"Woah, this place is falling into shambles," he said.

"Hugo!" Rose scolded him, frowning at him.

"Sorry, Uncle Bill."

"Oh, no worries. I know some parts of this look like a pile of rubbish, but I bought the place for the location, not for the furniture. The bad state of this place was actually a good thing because it made the buy practically a steal."

Rose smirked as they went inside. "I think a few handy spells here and there and it'll be in fairly good shape," the girl remarked.

"For sure. It's going to take a while to get it up to its full potential, though. But, I'm lucky to have a niece and nephew who have a whole day free to help me clean." Smiling, Uncle Bill twirled his wand, almost taunting them.

And that was how Hugo realized that he wouldn't have much time to think about Professor Dumbledore's meeting because he was going to be too busy cleaning piles of rubbish.

"But we're underage, we can't use magic," Hugo whined.

"It's good that I have some handy cleaning cloths around here, then," announced Uncle Bill, a mischievous grin on his face as he sentenced them to their task.

At the kitchen, they saw Aunt Fleur, who was already in full gear throwing _reparos_ and _scourgifys_ around. She didn't look upset about the state of the house, rather, quite the opposite. Hugo would have said that she looked rather excited about the possibilities of fixing and decorating the place from the ground up.

Hugo could see it too. He was good at imagining spaces and had the advantage of having seen their house in the future already. So, as the boy skimmed through the empty rooms and falling shelves, he pictured its finished look overlapped on the rusty skeleton that was the current house.

That was the only fun part of it.

They spent the entire morning cleaning. Uncle Bill went through the house's facade trying to find any structural damage to repair, while Aunt Fleur fixed the larger pieces of broken furniture inside. Both of them enjoyed the use of magic, a privilege that Hugo and his sister didn't have.

Thinking he had more dust on his face than freckles now, Hugo was shocked to discover that they hadn't made much progress at all after hours of cleaning by hand. Between his efforts and those of his sister, they had barely managed to clean one of the smaller rooms. But at least that room didn't look like a rat's nest anymore.

He thought for a moment that Louis should be thanking him for cleaning up his room, but then Hugo remembered that he might not be seeing Louis again and put the thought away.

"You were freaking out," Rose said at lunch, chuckling as they ate some sandwiches on the kitchen counter. The old table was in no shape to be useful, let alone support the sandwiches' weight.

"I was not," Hugo whined in protest.

Moments earlier they had found some spiders, and Hugo might have overreacted. Only slightly, though.

"You were asking me to throw a _reducto_ at them," Rose added, suppressing a laugh. Uncle Bill was almost choking behind them, as he had been biting into his sandwich when he started laughing.

"It was just a small request-"

"Hugo, I can't use magic, remember? Besides, the blasting spell is hardly the way to deal with a few one-inch spiders."

"One more thing he has in common with Ron," announced Uncle Bill after he recovered his footing.

It was something Hugo had definitely inherited from his father, more on the behaviour side than anything genetic. But how could a boy grow up seeing his much bigger father scared of spiders without developing some sort of fear for the pesky animals as well?

At the counter everyone was silent for another mouthful, the mention of Hugo's father still lingering in the air. It seemed as if the previous joyful reactions were replaced with thoughtful looks all around.

"I wonder what he's doing now," Hugo said, voicing his thoughts without really meaning to.

"Eetz Sunday, 'e must be in ze grounds, wiz 'arry and your mozer," Aunt Fleur guessed.

"Most likely," agreed Uncle Bill.

"Eetz still 'ard to believe,'' continued Aunt Fleur. "Zat 'arry defeated 'im. 'e must be more famous in your time."

"They all are! We even had to go undercover for the Quidditch World Cup!" Rose complained.

At first, she turned afraid of having accidentally revealed more about the future, but she ended up deciding that it wasn't a big deal. After all, there was no unexpected information there.

Hugo was glad to have Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur on their side as well, even if he wasn't sure if he would be able to see their children again. The four of them went on talking about Quidditch and the Triwizard Tournament for an hour or so, until Uncle Bill decided it was time to return to cleaning.

"Come on, I'll save you if another one of those fiendish spiders shows up," Rose offered, smirking.

Frowning at his sister, Hugo made his way back upstairs.

It was strange, but something had changed after lunch. Maybe it was the mention of their father at lunch, but Hugo and Rose barely exchanged a word after it. Rose looked entirely focused on her task. Her sleeves were rolled up and her big red hair was pulled back. Hugo noticed just how lost her blue eyes seemed. She was surely thinking the same thing as him. That meeting was taking far too long.

Eventually, Uncle Bill returned and called it a day, so Hugo and Rose went outside for a walk. Their uncle told them not to go too far away, since the Fidelius charm had its limits.

After inspecting their surroundings and deciding everything was as they expected it to be, the siblings headed to the shore and sat a few yards away from the moving sea. For a long time they didn't say a word, enjoying the sound of the waves splashing against the wet sand.

"I always loved this place. It's peaceful," he said.

Rose nodded. "It is, though it makes my hair a bigger mess than it already is."

It was true, her ponytail looked more like a big, round tangle of red hair than usual. Hugo grinned as he watched her struggle with it a bit more, but she just couldn't put it into a presentable ponytail.

"Argh! I give up!" she said at last, letting her hair stay loose. It was still a mess, and now it brushed against her face from time to time. But Rose didn't seem to care anymore.

The sky was starting to become streaked with orange, which gave Hugo a nice feeling. Orange was a good colour.

"I miss Dom. I miss all of them," Rose said suddenly.

"Me too. Do you think Dumbledore will be able to send us back?"

"I don't know Hugo. I'm not even sure if we would arrive at our old future or the future to this new reality."

Hugo's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "You think we've changed things already?"

"Of course we have! The smallest of changes is enough to make a whole new future, and Dumbledore knows that. He's not stupid."

"Then why is he doing all of this?"

"I reckon he knows some things will change, even if we left right now. He just wants to control the parts related to the war as much as possible."

Hugo stared at the orange sky above the sea, wondering what Dumbledore's plan was. There was no way the headmaster could reach them when they were so far away from the Burrow and under the Fidelius charm. He never planned on setting a trap, which made his proposal much more intriguing.

"It's taking too long."

Rose sighed, rolling her eyes at Hugo's impatience. "The meeting didn't start as soon as we left. They still had to set a time. It's to be expected that they haven't sent word yet."

If there was a good place to wait for news, it was the shore. Hugo still felt nervous in a way, yet the constant sound of the waves crashing against some nearby rocks soothed his anxiety to some degree.

"I'm sure Grandpa wouldn't agree to it if it wasn't a good thing," said Rose after some time, staring ahead at the waves.

"Guess so," answered Hugo in a lazy voice.

"Mum won't let him agree if it isn't," a third voice said calmly behind them. Turning in surprise, they saw that it was Uncle Bill.

Standing at their backs, he looked quite different. The young man was tall and handsome, and his bright red hair moved gracefully in the wind. The absence of the scars on his face gave his appearance an air of youth that his personality usually had. Rose and Hugo smiled at him as he crouched down behind them, the bands and amulets on his wrists in plain sight.

Together the three of them stared at the sea, surely thinking about the same thing.

"You were right. I already love this place," the young man said with a grin.

"Told you," Rose said smugly, her eyes still set on the sea.

"You know, I think I'm going to like you two. Maybe even more than I like your parents," he added, laughing. "Am I a... good uncle in the future?"

"The best," said Rose. She smiled widely, finally turning to their uncle as a playful strand of curly, red hair hit her in the eye.

"Good to know. I'm here for whatever you need, I hope you know. I was a bit shaken at first, and I do believe that you did wrong, but now that you're here I am on your side. I won't let anything bad happen to Ron or you."

Hugo felt very happy hearing those words, as if his burden had suddenly become lighter. Having Uncle Bill on their side made it feel as if there was no task they couldn't accomplish.

Uncle Bill took a breath before talking again. "Rose, I was thinking earlier, when you said you couldn't do magic. You'll be seventeen soon, right?"

Hugo's sister was mildly surprised by that. "Why, yes. But, I'm not sure if I'll be able to do magic out of school. Not sure how that works, with the travel to the past and all."

The young man was trying to make up his mind about something. "It's called the _Trace_ ," he said after a moment. "It's placed on all wands so the Ministry can be alerted if the user performs any magic. It lifts automatically once the owner turns seventeen. I have absolutely no idea how that would work in your case, though. I'm no wand expert."

_The Trace_. That was new information. Hugo turned to his own wand, trying to see if there was anything pointing to an invisible lock or something there. At his side, Rose frowned, as if trying to process it. The girl was about to ask their uncle something about it when a sudden flash of light caught them off guard.

The shining source of light was white and blue, and it came floating towards them gracefully. At moments it was hopping and at others almost flying. Once it reached them, Uncle Bill stood up as the shape of the light became clearer. The light was a Patronus, in the form of a weasel.

"We're done. They left already, bring Rose and Hugo," said the weasel with the calm voice of Hugo's grandfather. Then, it rushed away, through the yellow bushes until it faded, blue and white dots of light melting in the sunset air.

Hugo exchanged a worried look with Rose and Uncle Bill. However, the young man smiled reassuringly at them. "Don't worry, Patronuses can't be faked. Let's go get Fleur."

They hurried back to the cottage as fast as they could, where they told Aunt Fleur everything in the message. Uncle Bill went to the Burrow first, as an extra precaution, but he was soon back, telling them that the place was safe. Once again, Hugo got the dreadful feeling from the side-along apparition, but before he knew it the smell of the sea was gone.

Uncles Fred and George were in the living room, trying to hide their playful grins without much success. Hugo's grandparents were there as well, looking pretty relaxed themselves. There were no signs of Albus Dumbledore or Professor McGonagall.

"Take a seat. Sorry for the delay, but Albus and Minerva didn't arrive until after lunch," their grandfather began.

"How did it go?" Uncle Bill asked at once, choosing to remain on his feet.

"We heard the proposal, and it's a good one. Better than expected."

"Is that so?" asked their uncle suspiciously.

Hugo's grandmother nodded with a half-smile.

"Good old Professor Dumbledore is in a hurry," said one of the twins.

"In a hurry? I don't get it," Hugo said, wrinkling his forehead. At his side, Rose looked just as lost.

"Two new beds appeared at the Gryffindor tower on Friday, and the school records have been modified," Hugo's grandfather said, as if those phrases explained it all.

"Two beds?" asked Uncle Bill, in a state of surprise. Next to him, Rose and Hugo showed similar signs of shock.

"The school is sensing Rose and Hugo in some way. Albus confused Hogwarts' records to show different names, but the beds keep returning every time he vanishes them."

Magical beds popping up out of nowhere? Hugo wasn't really following the conversation at all. What did some beds at Hogwarts have to do with the headmaster's proposal?

Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur seemed to have a better idea though. "He doesn't really plan to—" his uncle started, dumbfounded. "He wouldn't, he should have better options."

Hugo's grandfather smiled wryly. "He doesn't. Not if he wants to stop the Ministry, and eventually Voldemort, from asking one too many questions. Albus can't just pull two students out of his hat, try as he might."

"What about polyjuice?"

"Apparently he doesn't want two adults passing as students in his school, and besides, the potion takes a long time to make and is very costly. The Order needs it and the money for other affairs."

"This changes everything..." Uncle Bill said softly.

"It sure does."

Hugo scratched his head, still completely lost. "I don't get it. Two extra beds at Hogwarts? Is this because of us? How is he going to... He's not thinking that we...?" Hugo started, looking at his sister.

"I think he is," said Rose, still shocked. A large smile suddenly appeared on her face at this realization.

"'e needs zem," said Fleur.

Hugo's grandfather nodded. "That is partly why Minerva was here, she has been informed of everything. Anyway, they want you two to go to Hogwarts under false identities."

"Going back to Hogwarts? With Mum and Dad?" asked Hugo incredulously. He still couldn't believe it, he'd thought it was going to be much more complicated.

"Yes, but they want you to promise that you won't tell them anything in order to keep the future as intact as possible. He has been very troubled about all of this. He promised to check on the deluminator and take it out of the mission, he is—"

Hugo's grandmother snorted derisively, crossing her arms. "Again with that stupid mission! I didn't agree with that part, and I never will."

"We'll see about that later, sweetheart. At least he promised to keep the deluminator out of it, so Rose and Hugo won't really need to contact their parents," the man said to his wife. He then turned back to his grandchildren. "You would have to stay at Hogwarts or Shell Cottage during the holidays. However, if we can't send you back by the end of the war, we can tell your parents everything. He wants the Time-Turner, though."

Rose and Hugo stared at each other with troubled expressions. It looked like a fair proposal. It didn't just save their father, but it was also the best option in regards to keeping the future unchanged. Still, it was complicated for them. How could they spend so much time that close to the people they loved without talking to them? Without a hug from their father?

"I know what this means to you, but it's definitely better than what we expected."

"Even better if we can put a few products in your trunks..." one of the twins said, winking at them.

"Fred! This is serious!"

"There's something that's still worrying me," interrupted Uncle Bill. "How are we sure Dumbledore will keep their word about the deluminator, or that Rose and Hugo will be safe there?"

"Minerva is on our side and he can't just ignore those beds," said Hugo's grandfather soberly. "We'll sort it out, we still have some points to clarify with him."

"What points?" asked Uncle Bill curiously.

"He wanted our memories erased while the war was still happening, but we refused. Our memories are our main leverage. That was mostly our main concern, and I think that Minerva is with us on that matter. Albus said he would think about it."

"Surely he has to agree. He needs them on those two beds if he doesn't want any questions asked."

The argument continued, so Rose and Hugo hesitantly admitted that Hogwarts would be under Voldemort's control after Dumbledore's death, and that would compromise them either way. Everybody was shocked, especially Hugo's grandmother, but after trying to ask more about it, Hugo's grandfather stopped her. He said he would also mention it to the headmaster since they needed to guarantee Rose and Hugo's safety.

More points were discussed, but by the end of the day, everybody had agreed with the plan. If the headmaster accepted their petitions, they would go forward with it. Hugo was terrified, though. He didn't know what seeing his father again would feel like, especially since he would barely even be allowed to look at him, much less talk to him. What if he spoke to them? What would they say, what would they do?

Hugo noticed his sister was troubled as well. She appeared to be excited, but also quite worried. Too many things could go wrong, they knew. Hugo also wondered what would happen if they broke some of the rules. Not intentionally, but if they got found out by accident. How would Dumbledore react to that?

With those worries in mind, they went to bed, falling into a fitful sleep. Hugo had a nightmare that night. It was about his parents and Uncle Harry chasing him around the school while he ran away from them, desperately trying not to tell them the truth. In the dream, Dumbledore ended up deciding that Hugo had broken his side of the deal, so he vanished them away. Rose was sent to a different place and Hugo screamed for her, but then out of nowhere, he saw his father dying again, despite all of their efforts to keep him alive.

Hugo woke up, sweating as his heart pounded. It was an awful nightmare and he wasn't used to them either. It took a long while to get back to sleep, and even then, it was a restless one.

The next morning, breakfast was mostly silent. His grandfather had left early to talk to the headmaster, and everyone's thoughts were wondering about it. It wasn't until an hour later that his grandfather returned. At once, everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to him, anxious looks on their faces. It took Hugo only a glimpse at his grandfather's smile to know what was going to happen.

"He accepted," his grandfather said, grinning at them. "You're going to Hogwarts."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Hopefully, I managed to give as much as a good idea of who is Hugo in these last 2 chaps as I did with Rose at the beginning. Now it's time to move the story forward.
> 
> \- Chapter 5 is not written yet and have some others in my queue, don't expect it sooner than 2 weeks.
> 
> Next Chapter: The Trace (Rose POV returns)


End file.
